Black Truth
by J. El Lions Lohn Caesar
Summary: After escaping prison Sirius searches for Harry, instead of finding him safe on the knight bus he sees Harry beaten and bloodied. Sirius takes Harry in and brings him back to health. Now with a responsibility Sirius does what he should of all those years ago and puts Harry before revenge. What will change and how will this effect both harry and Sirius. Eventually Harry / Fleur.
1. Chapter 1 - Escape

**Warning!!! Harry is beaten extremely badly in the beginnings if this chapter. It is not going to be a repeating theme in the story but it is important to the plot. I do not condone any form of child abuse and think it is a horrible thing. I apologise for not putting this warning in to begin with but it is here now.**

Vernon Dursley quickly waddled into the bathroom of four Privet drive whilst he unzipped his pants. He waddled through a white slimy substance on the floor and slipped over. He fell backwards and hit his head on the door before his needs overcame him and he urinated all over himself.

UGHHH

He screamed in frustration and anger. He looked to see what he slipped on and pure rage filled his mind. His face turned a dangerous purple and the vain on his forehead looked close to bursting.

"THAT DISGUSTING FREAK." He screamed. He stormed into the boys room, pants around his ankles dripping in urine. He picked the boy up and gave him the most vicious beating of his life. He found a cake knife on the desk and used it vigorously to inflict as much pain as possible.

He wrapped the bloody heap in the bed sheets and carried it to his car. He walked passed his terrified wife and son and threw the boy into the boot of his car.

"The boy will not be a problem anymore Pet." He called to his wife as he backed out of the car.

He drove for hours on end and well into the day before he was satisfied. At two in the afternoon Vernon Dursley dumped the unconscious and dying form of Harry James Potter off the clift and watched it tumble and roll to the bottom of the alley at the bottom and disappear beneath the tree canopy.

He squeezed back into his car and began to return home again. He drove until six thirty before he stopped for dinner at a fast food restaurant. An hour later he checked in at a motel and slept for a few hours. He awoke again in the early hours of the morning and after a Mcdonalds breakfast he was off again.

He pulled into Privet Drive at seven am to find a police car parked nearby. Thinking his good friend Jim from the police force was visiting for some reason he thought nothing of it. He parked his car in the drive

"Pet, I am home again. I already missed a day of work so I will have to leave to the office soon. Is Jim visiting." He called as he hung up his coat. He was glad that he had burnt all the freaks belongings the previous night and finally had a place for his boots other than the doorway.

He entered the living room to find three officers waiting with a ghostly pale Petunia and a shaking Dudley. The officers stood and approached him, the first officer stopped in front of him, the second much larger pulled out some handcuffs and went to cuff him. The third went to guard the door to prevent his escape.

"What is the meaning of this." He shouted.

"Vernon Dursley you are under arrest for the murder of the minor Harry James Potter on August fourth 1993. You have the right to remain silent. If you do say anything, what you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult with a lawyer and have that lawyer present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you if you so desire." The officer said.

"What!" Vernon screamed at the officer. "I am an upstanding Citizen of this country. That freak deserved everything he got. I know the law, it's only murder if I kill a human. The law says nothing of freaks." Vernon yelled and tried to shake free of the officers grip.

The larger officer pushed the back of Vernons legs and forced him to his knees before pushing him to lay flat on his stomach. With one knee on Vernons back to keep him still the officer cuffed him the lifted him back to his feet. Vernon was dragged out the house kicking and screaming all the way to the police car.

The car drove off and all around curtains could be seen quickly closing too hide those that were spying on it. The gossip spread quickly between workplaces and gossip groups all across little whinging. Vernon Dursley was arrested for murder.

**~•~**

Inside Privet drive Petunia Dursley was having a very serious discussion with her son.

"Mum, why did dad get taken away. He has always done those things to Harry but the police never came before." Dudley asked.

"I called the police sweetie because what Vernon did was wrong and he went to far. I have never said anything before because it was never very serious, the boys life was never endanger but today your father most likely killed that boy. Do you understand why it is wrong Dudley." Petunia said.

"But why was it different this time. Harry had done far worse and more freakish things before and dad never went so far. I mean he locked me in a snake enclosure and dad only put him in his cupboard for a few days and made him mow the lawns with fingernail scissors and scrub the driveway with his toothbrush. What was different this time mum. I get that dad shouldn't have gone as far as he did and shouldn't have dumped him in the middle of nowhere but what was different this time. What did Harry do so bad to make dad go over the top." Dudley asked.

"Well I suppose it is about time for the birds and the bees talk Dudley. When a man loves a woman very much…" A long and agonising time for Dudley later " and that's how a baby is made. Now Vernon was so angry because the boy was… pleasuring himself and made a mess on the bathroom floor. Vernon slipped in it and hit his head. It still is no excuse to do what he did but that is what triggered him to act the way he did. I suppose it may have been the realisation that the boy could possibly have more children like himself. Your father believed truly that he would be helping us all by beating the freakishness out of him but it is still no excuse for what he did. Do you understand that Dudley."

"Yes mum but there is something you should know. It wasn't Harry that made that… mess in the bathroom it was me. Now someone is dead and dads going to jail because I forgot to clean up after myself." Dudley burst into tears and hugged the tops of his knees. He was to big to get his legs any higher.

"Shh, shhh, it's not your fault Dudley. You didn't make Vernon do those things, it's not your fault sweetie." Petunia soothed her son.

"I'm a monster mum, I'm a bully, a cheater, a murderer and monster. Just like dad." Dudley was now shaking with sobs.

"But you don't have to be sweetie, I should have stepped in earlier and stopped Vernon before now. I shouldn't have allowed him to encourage you to do the things he did to that boy. I shouldn't have let him feed you so much. I shouldn't have let him go further and further down the path he was."

Many things changed after that day in number four Privet Drive. Dudley went on a diet and slowly began to lose weight, he stopped bullying other kids and tried harder in his classes. After a year he was an average weight and had caught up to his classmates in school.

Petunia Dursley began attending the local church and spent many a days with therapists to work through her guilt in allowing her husband to treat both her nephew and son the way he did. To help escape the environment she had sold her house and moved to america to start a new life for herself and her son.

Vernon Dursley was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court after pleading guilty to torturing and abusing a child along with the murder charges. He was found beaten to death in his cell with the same words carved in his chest as he admitted to cutting into Harry.

"DIE FREAK DIE."

**~•~**

July 25 Sirius Orion Black escaped Azkaban prison and was now running from the law, both wizard and muggle. The first thing he did after escaping was to steal a wand from a sleeping guard. The wand had only had one spell cast repeatedly, 'Point me Harrison James Potter'

He followed the wand across the english countryside sleeping in the backs of trucks and stealing food from rubbish bins. He followed the trail to a clift face off the side of the road above a valley.

"Point me Harrison James Potter" He cast once more and watched as the ten and a half inch, Oak and unicorn hair wand floated into the air and spun to point straight down.

A quick sticky charm on his hands and feet Sirius began to climb down the clift face. After eleven days of searching he had finally found his godson and could do what he should have on the 31 of October 1981.

He found the boy with a thin sheet over him curled up in the roots of a large tree. He appeared to be sleeping and was surrounded by snakes.

As Sirius approached one snake retreated to Harry's side and two others advanced on Sirius. Harry awoke and hissed at the snakes.

"Harry is it really you." Sirius asked.

"Help me." Harry barely whispered.

"What is it, what do you need. We need to get you out of this forrest Harry." Sirius said.

"Need, healer." Harry rasped.

"Come on Harry, I can try and apparate you to a safer place but it might be difficult." Sirius said as he began to panic.

"Help me, pain." Harry groaned.

"I can't, I could splinch us both. Arghh, What to do, what to do." Sirius began to pace in thought as he assessed the risks in trying to apparate Harry away.

"Kreacher, come." Sirius called with a sudden thought. He waited but no elf came. "Arghh the blasted elf, this is not the time to play games."

"Dobby, help." Harry said as clearly as possible.

A small house elf popped into the existence next to Harry dressed in a Hogwarts tea towel and very bright socks. He had tennis ball sized yellow eyes and bat like ears.

"The great and kind master Harry Potter sir be calling lowly Dobby. How may Dobby serve." The elf asked whilst bowing low.

"Dobby is it, I need you to help me get Harry to a safer location. I know of a place in Portsmouth that we can go. 486 Black road. Take us there and he will be safe." Sirius told the elf. Dobby grabbed both their hands and they disappeared with a loud pop.

**~•~**

The three appeared in front of an iron gate with a large lock on it. On either side of the gate were two large stone Ravens. Sirius placed his finger on the lock and the gates swung open.

Dobby popped away again to the door of the house and waited for Sirius to open the door and allow him entry. He then took then levitated Harry into the large home and into a bedroom. He popped away again after informing Sirius he would prepare some food for Harry.

Sirius found some pain potions, a blood replenishing potion, some cream for cuts and a dreamless sleep draught. He gave the potions to Harry and applied the cream to Harry's body and was shocked when none had any effect.

Assuming the potions were old and their shelf life exceeded therefore reducing there effects he resorted to simple healing charms to heal the cuts on Harry's body. After ten minutes Sirius thought he was done and fed him the chicken broth the elf had prepared.

Slowly but surely Harry got better. Sirius was unsure how well his healing charms worked but knew that scars would remain. His biggest fear was the fact that Harry would permanently need to use charms to use the bathroom. Because along with slicing his chest and removing the skin of the scar on his forehead. Vernon Dursley had removed Harry Potter's genitals.

**~•~**

Albus Dumbledore was in a panic, Harry Potter was missing. The entire last month had turned to shit. Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban and was assumed to be after Harry and now the boy was missing. His Uncle was in prison and his Aunt and cousin had moved to america.

He did not think a tracking charm was necessary on the boy but he knew he was alive. He had atleast had the forethought to cast a life ward on the boy. If he was dead the his trinket would not be blowing smoke. The fact that it was red smoke was further reason for worry as it indicated that the boy was not in a well condition.

"I truly hope that someone has found him and he is safe." He went to the floo in his office and called Transfiguration Office.

"Minerva I have some bad news, Harry Potter is missing and may not be attending Hogwarts this year."

**~•~**

Harry had been asleep since the day Sirius brought him to the Black safe house in Portsmouth. Four weeks and he had not woken even once. Sirius had asked Dobby to purchase new potions but they still had no effect. He had used the excretion vanishing charm every morning and night to ensure he was comfortable and feeding him soups and broths.

On the second of September Sirius woke at seven thirty and after checking on Harry, went to have breakfast. Four pieces of marmalade on toast and a cup of tea later he went back up stairs to help Harry. Only when he opened the door, Harry was gone.

Sirius went into panic, where is he, how could he just disappear, did someone take him. Sirius was scrambling around trying to figure out what to do. How could he just lose Harry, his godson.

The sound of a flushing toilet broke him from his thoughts. Sirius rushed to the bathroom down the hall to see Harry closing the door.

"Harry." He shouted with glee as he picked him up in a hug.

"Okay who are you." Harry said breaking free of the man's grip.

"Oh, right. I'm your godfather, call me padfoot."

"Padfoot, that's an odd name."

"It was the nickname your father gave me. My real name is Sirius Orion Black III. However, you can call me padfoot."

"If you are my godfather, where have you been all this time." Harry asked.

"That is a conversation that we need to have after I check you over and you have breakfast."

"Will the scar on my chest always be there, I am glad you could at least regrow my… You know." Harry said gesturing to between his legs.

"What do you mean regrow. I wouldn't know how to do something like that. It would take a very expensive potion that includes basilisk venom and that is about two million galleons a litre."

"What else is in that potion."

"Well I think it is a few other basilisk parts, some phoenix tears two balance it and a bit of crushed Unicorn horn."

"Why the basilisk parts."

"Well basilisks are rather tricky. If you were to cut one in half it would hibernate for a few weeks whilst its tail grows back. The only way to kill it is to kill its brain. It's something in their blood that gives them this power."

"Well that solves that mystery, I have basilisk venom and blood coursing through my veins. It must have given me some rejuvenation abilities. I don't know how much but at least some."

"And pray tell me, how did this happen."

"After breakfast and you tell me your story.

The two left to the kitchen and found pancakes with bacon, maple syrup and chocolate chips. After a quick and delicious meal Sirius showed Harry to the living room that overlooked the water.

"Well I suppose it starts about a month before you were born. Dumbledore came to your parents and said that Voldemort was targeting them and they needed to go into hiding. The Potter ancestral home was there first choice but James didn't want Voldemort to get the resources it had if he found them. Instead they moved into a small house in Godric's Hollow under a very powerful charm. The fidelius charm. The charm uses a secret keeper to protect the secret of another's location. Unfortunately the longer the secret keeper stays in the home the weaker the charm becomes meaning you cannot put the secret keeper under the protected house."

"I was James best friend and had lived with him since we were fifteen. I looked to be the first choice they would have. Instead we decided to use a second friend, Peter Pettigrew and I would be the decoy. So for a year and a bit I went around announcing to the world that I was the secret keeper and what an honour it was that James chose me. I made myself the biggest target to keep Peter safe."

"But the little rat betrayed us, he sold James and Lily out to the dark prick and betrayed them. When I heard the ward stone I had go off to say the wards had fallen I climbed on my bike and flew straight there. I had been drinking you see and couldn't apparate. I arrived at the house and found the nursery blown to pieces and Hagrid walking out with you in his arms."

"He told me he was taking you to Dumbledore and refused to give you to me. I didn't realise but he thought I betrayed them, I forgot everyone believed me to be secret keeper. So I gave Hagrid my flying motorcycle to keep you safe on your travel and went after Peter myself. If I hadn't been drinking so much I would have made better decisions that day, at least I hope so."

"I tracked him down to an alleyway in london and confronted him. I don't know how he got into Gryffindor because he is a traitorous coward. He called me a trafor before blowing up the street and disappearing into the night as his rat animagus. My brain was still slow and I stood there, I couldn't believe what had just happened. I had tried to avenge James and Lily and all I did was get a bunch of muggles killed. I feel to my knees and mumbled 'I killed them all' over and over again. My mind was in a state of shock and I should have gotten help. I lay down and laughed at the ridiculousness of my actions. James would have chewed me out for being so dumb."

"The aurors that arrived arrested me, threw me in a cell in Azkaban and never looked back. I was never given a trial and everyone assumed I was sentenced to life in prison."

"I did have at least some luck. Dementors don't effect me as much as most because I was trained in Occlumency from five to fifteen by my grandfather. Added to that the fact that in my animagus form they affect me less and the memory that was my worse was the day I lost my true family. I have watched those two days a thousand times and know everything I should and shouldn't have done."

"Still my mind wasn't right and I was still under the belief that I needed to get revenge on the rat. Two thoughts for twelve years, my family is gone, all because of Peter. I will be honest and say it never occured to me that you might need me. I was sure someone would raise you right. The wills would be read and you would be placed with Frank and Alice or Minerva or Alastar. I am truly sorry that I didn't do anything for you."

"Anyway, I found where Peter is and it ticked something in my brain, driving me to break out. Once free of the dementors presence I made the first good decision in twelve years. I should check on Harry, is he okay."

"So that brings us to here and now. Let's discuss the deadly snake venom."

Harry began to explain his last year of Hogwarts which brought on the topic of his first year and eventually his life story since his parents deaths. Sirius was appalled that Harry was placed with his Aunt and even more so that the wills had not been read to Harry. After the long discussion lunch was almost ready and Harry only had one more question for his new godfather.

"Padfoot."

"Yes Harry."

"Where are we."

"Oh, we are in a Black safe house in Portsmouth, England. There are a bunch of little houses like these all over the UK owned by my family. Anyone with Black blood can access them, although I think it needs to be a child of a son or daughter of the house of Black. Your grandfather would have been able to access them because your great grandmother was a black. James however could not. Only Myself, Andromeda, Nymphadora, Narcissa and her son Draco could access these homes so we are safe."

"How can Malfoy access them, surely I am not related to him. I can't be." Harry exclaimed.

"Okay I guess we should start with My great grandfather Phineas Black. He had a son and a daughter, Arcturus and Dorea. Arcturus married Catherine Nott and gave birth to Orion and Cassiopeia. Dorea married Chalus Potter who gave birth to Fleamont, he married Euphemia Longbottom and gave birth to James Potter. Your father. Orion married Walburga Slewn and birthed Myself and Regulus. Cassiopeia married Anthony Greengrass and gave birth to Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa. Bella married Rodolphus Lestrange and is in Azkaban. Andy married a muggleborn named Ted Tonks and had Nymphadora Tonks. Narcissa married Lucius Malfoy and gave birth to Draconis Malfoy. I believe it makes you two like third cousins or something. Now let's go eat lunch."


	2. Chapter 2 - Preperations

A week had passed since Harry learnt the truth of his godfather. The two had grown rather close over the week as Harry learnt more about his parents and Sirius of his favourite godson. Three days ago Harry sent Hedwig, who showed up a week after they arrived at Portsmouth, to Gringotts with a question with Sirius' urging. Today the reply came.

_Mr Harrison James Potter_

_In answer to your letter I can inform you that after the deaths if the Potters' the wills were sealed by the Wizengamot until you became of age. Albus Dumbledore was appointed guardian and has left all accounts untouched. Unfortunately I cannot send you a copy as it would break the treaties made between wizards and goblins however if you ask either Sirius Orion Black III or Alice Marie Longbottom née Smith who witnessed the wills they can supply you the information._

_Ironclaw, Potter Account Manager_

"Well this is not good." Sirius said.

"And why is it not good." Harry asked.

"Because when you were little your accidental magic was crazy. You were summoning everything, changing colours left and right and James even told me about you switching your bottle for some butterbeer. After you summoned a book and nearly had the bookshelf squash you Lily performed a magical bind. The only one powerful enough would not dissolve completely. It was designed to reduce it to standard magical output for your age and slowly released it to allow you to gain control. The only thing is that at about six months before Hogwarts the charms needed to be changed. It was supposed to remove it over a months time so you weren't blocked at school."

"It all seems rather complicated, how does it determine what average is." Harry asked.

"Well it sort of gets weared down by your magic straining against it I suppose. If you were to never remove it, by the time you are like thirty five to forty it would be gone but by then it is a bit late and your learning would be stunted. The idea to have it fade away is to reduce its resistance and let your magic break the rest quicker than before. It means your body can get accustomed to the magic moving in you and stops you going crazy with accidental magic."

"So what can we do about it, I would prefer to get rid of it as fast as possible."

"Well I can't remove it, I am only average at charms. James was Transfiguration, Remus was Charms and Runes, I was potions and the rat was the divergent. I was only behind Snape and Lily in potions. Lily of course could have been a potions mistress if she wished."

"What did she do after school Pad."

"Well after school was a bit strange and didn't go as it usually would. James joined the Auror corp almost straight away and Lily began doing some private study with Slughorn. Both joined the order and then were married and then had you and then they were hiding. Career choices got put on the back burner for a bit. Lily was planning to go to the Unspeakables to do magical research and James was going to work his way through the ranks in the DMLE. Both would have done extremely well if it weren't for the war."

"Good to know, but back to this block or restraint or whatever. What are we going to do about it."

"Well like I was saying, I can't remove it even if I knew what charm was used. St Mungos is out because, well you know. That leaves Gringotts."

"I thought they were just bankers."

"Well they are just bankers, however to keep gold safe you need to ward the vaults to avalon and back. Naturally when you get so good at putting wards up you can detect and pull them down too. Goblins have done warding jobs the very rich before. The block on your magic is in its essence, a ward so the goblins should be able to help."

"And they won't arrest you."

"I never did anything to harm the goblins, and anything can be purchased with the goblins."

"Do we have a plan beyond that."

"After we get the block removed we need to get you and I a wand. Aunt Cassie owns a custom wand shop in Knockturn Alley and will help us out. After that we move to castle Black in the himalayas where the ministry trackers don't reach. It is one of the only places where no ministry has any trackers. This means we can do magic until our hearts contend with no consequence. I want to teach you to duel properly and prepare you for what might come soon. Hogwarts doesn't teach advanced dueling magic until NEWT's not because it is hard but because they do not trust people. Though it is for good reason. Eleven year olds have no use for the likes if Confringo."

"Sounds awesome."

"Although it won't all be dueling and explosions. You have a lot of other places to catch up in."

"Like what."

"Well the Potter's own a considerable amount of money and you need to learn how to manage it. They also hold one of twenty hereditary seats on the Wizengamot so there is things to learn there. No doubt your wizarding history is lacking and a bit of etiquette never killed. I'm not saying you need to be a political powerhouse making millions a minute and behave like merlin still walks the earth. It is important to no how to interact effectively with everyone. Oh yes, I will also teach you some languages. Most like to try latin but it is rather pointless. German and French are the most important. Basic greetings and manners in Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, hindi and maybe some others too. Don't forget your other Hogwarts subjects as well. What electives did you choose."

"I haven't chosen any, I was leaning towards Creatures because Hagrid is teaching and maybe Runes or divination. I don't plan on making spells in arithmancy and muggle studies is rather pointless. Runes looks interesting and useful and Ron is pressuring me into divination because it is easy."

"Don't do Divination and creatures, pick just one. Both are easy to get acceptables but outstandings are difficult. If you do both your year will be rather boring. Runes is very useful and if you have the knack for it can be very fun. Remus was rather good at most runes. Not a master rune carver but he could form decent runic circles to serve their purpose."

"I think Runes and Creatures then."

"Looks like it."

"Next question, what will we do with school. Hogwarts began two days ago and by the sounds of these plans, Hogwarts is not in them."

"Right, You have been injured pretty badly up until now and school was not really going to work then. If you want to go to Hogwarts that is fine but I was thinking. Third year is not overly important. You will mostly be introducing your electives and their basics. Potions you look at healing droughts and their properties. Transfiguration is animate to inanimate objects. Charms will be looking at semi permanent charms like the heating charm that will last for a while after being cast before fading along with others. Herbology is just herbology, you could read the textbook twice over and pass with EE. We will be able to cover it and you will not be behind by next year. Defence covers dark creatures which is ninety nine percent theory. Next year is very important however and you will be going."

"I suppose a letter to professor Mcgonagall is in order then. I will inform her that I will be privately studying for the year and will most likely return for fourth year. I should probably add that I am in a safe location as well, half the world probably thinks I am dead."

"The muggle news papers have mentioned the trial of a Vernon fellow who abused, tortured and murdered a thirteen year old boy. He was sentenced to life in prison."

"Good to know that he got what was coming, shall we venture to Gringotts." Harry said in a mock posh tone.

"We shall young sir." Sirius replied turning his nose up to look as snobbish as he could. They broke into laughter halfway to the floo.

"Have you used the floo before Harry."

"Once, it was not pleasant."

"Well the trick is to throw the powder in and walk in. Take a deep breath before entering and call your destination. Keep your eyes closed and listen to the flames. They will roar extra loud when you arrive. When you hear the sound increase, start walking again. All floo's are charmed to eject the person when the powder burns out. It isn't good if another person comes in and you are still standing there."

"Got it, Listen for the flames and then walk forward."

Harry threw the powder into the fire, took a large breath and walked in before calling Diagon Alley clearly. The flames whisked him away in a swirl of green. He listened for the increase in sound and it came in a deafening roar. He stepped out but his back foot got caught by the charms and he was flicked forwards a bit. He almost fell but caught himself.

Ten seconds later a man with short brown hair and brown eyes came through holding a sign reading 'Padfoot.' Harry was confused by the man but assumed he was Sirius.

"Don't look so confused Harry, I thought a glamour might help." the man said.

"Good idea, I couldn't transfigure a cap could you." Harry asked.

"I have a better idea." Sirius transfigured a napkin into a small band aid before applying a charm to it. He stuck it on Harry's forehead and looked on appraisingly.

"What's that." Harry asked.

"A neat little charm that makes a bandaid blend into the skin. Now if I make your eyes brown like mine and call you James we can pass you off as not you."

"And what should I call you." Harry asked.

"Hmm, Brian Smith and his son James will do nicely. but just Pad will be fine."

"Well let's get going then.

Gringotts was not overly exciting. After getting Harry a new key and Sirius entering his vault to get some coin they asked to see a goblin who deals with ward breaking. Sirius explained the circumstances and left Harry with Ironclaw to have the block removed to sort something of his own. They then left to do the most shopping Harry had ever done in his life.

They purchased dress robes, formal robes, casual robes, dueling robes, ties and bow ties of all colours, dress shoes, sports shoes, casual shoes, winter boots and some dueling boots as well. Harry got a million different shirts in almost every colour imaginable.

They left there order with Ms Jennings at Twilfit and Tattings before heading to the muggle world to do it all again but without the formal stuff. Finally was what he had been waiting for. The time to get his new wand.

"Hello, I am looking to purchase a wand for myself and my son." Sirius said.

"Very well, what woods will you be using." the old shopkeeper asked, Cassiopeia Black if Harry remembered correctly.

"My wood was mahogany and James had a Holly wand before it was lost in that house fire."

"Very well, what cores will you be requiring."

"Dragon heartstring for me along with the blood bond. James, what core will you use."

"I have my own vial of liquid core material. It is mixed with my blood so we shall be fine."

"Very well, if you will give me the vial and you a few drops of blood. I will have them in an hour, the total price is 14 galleons and twelve sickles a wand, 29 galleons 7 sickles total. Half to be paid now and the other upon completion of the wands." She said.

Sirius gave the money and they left the shop. They quickly left the dark and dodgy alley and went to get ice cream. An hour later and a few coins lighter they each had a new wand that bonded perfectly and a dragon hide wand holster to match.

The last stop for the day was the owl post shop. Harry sent a letter with an eagle owl to inform Mcgonagall of his choice of education and signed it off with his signature. Five sickles later they were home in Portsmouth again.

They packed their bags and set the house to rights, it soon looked no different from when they arrived. They left the house and walked down the path to the gates. Sirius locked it again which reactivated the stasis charm that slowed plant growth and deflected most weather to keep the house in shape. The charm sadly did not work on too large properties and the house was almost at the maximum for the charm.

Sirius apparated them both to the airport and booked a plane to Nepal, first class. The flight wasn't overly long and rather comfortable but was the longest flight Harry had been on. Ignoring the fact that it was his first.

They arrived and checked in with wizarding passports that worked everywhere and apparated to black castle. Harry's first impression wasn't much as they landed in the entrance hall. After exploring the small castle Harry was impressed.

The castle was made of stone bricks and was set into the face of the mountains. There was a no garden or lawn at the front of the castle just a small flat ish area that went five metres out before a vertical eighty foot drop.

The castle itself was three floors with some taller spires and towers. The first floor was where the living rooms, kitchen, dining room and the first floor library entrance was. The library of course was half the size of hogwarts but was the full three stories tall so likely had more books.

Second floor had the gym with an indoor pool and a magic resistant training room along with some bedrooms as well as the second floor library entrance. The third floor was full of bedrooms each with a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite. The bedrooms each had a double sized four post bed against one wall, a desk in another corner. A thick warm rug in the centre with a comfortable sofa that sat in front of a fireplace.

They settled into the home and after Sirius apparated into the city to buy pizza for dinner they sat down and practiced drawing their wands from the holster. There were many types of holsters that had different ways to draw. Some strapped to the opposite forearm and one could hide it under the sleeve of their robes. Others strapped to the inside of a boot or even down the back between your shoulder blades.

The two that Sirius and Harry had purchased were more advanced. They used an invisible charmed ring that went on the middle finger. When your finger flicks twice the wand is ejected from the holster into your hand. It took a lot of practice to get the flick of the finger right. It needed to be just the right distance and repeated twice quickly. Harry supposed that if it was any different the wand would draw at random and you could lose your wand.

As Harry lay in his bed that night, thinking over the things he would start to learn over his stay here he struggled to get to sleep. Partly due to excitement at learning to duel and dueling spells, partly due to dread of the fitness training Sirius said he would need to do. But he knew that when he walked into the great hall next year, he would be far different. For better or worse was yet to be decided.


	3. Chapter 3 - Training

It had been two months since Harry and Sirius moved into castle Black. They had both been training hard in all areas and it was beginning to show. Harry found Sirius' training schedule rather intense at first but after two weeks he had adjusted.

The day began at six thirty with a run around the gym and some muscle building exercises until seven thirty where they had breakfast. Eight thirty began with studying either languages Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Finances Tuesday, wizarding history Thursday and etiquette on Saturdays, each session took Harry to eleven a.m.

Eleven to twelve thirty Harry was in the training room with Sirius doing mock duels and Sirius teaching Harry a spell or two. In the beginning it was mostly learning spells and a duel at the end but now they spent a little more time practicing to use the until one thirty was lunch where they discussed the duels and where to improve. From then to six Harry studied for his school subjects and the theory of the practical subjects he couldn't like Care for Magical Creatures or Herbology. The castle was fairly well stocked with potion ingredients and they were easy to buy.

Six to seven was dinner and Sirius would share stories about Harry's parents and the marauders. It was one of the most enjoyable parts of the day for Harry except for some of the borderline pranks that his father and Sirius pulled on the Slytherins.

"I remember one time where we switched out Snape's hair gel to make his hair fall out and smell horrible along with itching powder in his robes." Sirius was explaining. "Then to top it off we charmed his ink to expand after twenty four hours. It ended up covering half his stuff in ink the next day."

"Isn't that a bit far, To ruin all his school work and probably other notes and expensive things." Harry asked.

"I do admit that we likely went to far on many occasions but I have forgotten the reasons for most of our pranks. This was in fifth year and we had heard from some third years that a group of Slytherins including Snape had hexed them bad and burnt all there stuff. A lot of our pranks were in retaliation to bad deeds and only the bad ones affected those that we knew did them. Our other pranks against the entire school or just the slytherins were less harmful. Like when we spiked all the juice to make everyone's voices sound funny. Classes were rather interesting that day."

"It's just that I don't really like bullies and it sounds like you weren't much better. Snape still has an absolute hatred for my dad because of it." Harry said.

"I understand what you are saying and a lot of what we did was wrong, I like to think I have changed from the imagire sixteen year old I was back then. We were kids and didn't know better, we thought there was no one worse than those Slytherins. It is still no excuse for some of the things I did and I am not overly proud of a lot of it. You should know though that Snape hates your father because of your mum. He grew up with Lily and I wouldn't be lying if I said I think he loved her. He hates James because he pranked him six ways from sunday, saved his life so he owes him and got the girl he had been crushing on since he was a kid. Snape is an imagire child still stuck up in his childhood. It is pretty rich coming from me but nothing Snape does to you can be justified by the behaviour of James and myself all those years ago."

"I guess I needed to hear that, it is hard to think that my dad might have been no better than Vernon and Dudley."

"Your Uncle is a grown adult and tried to beat a child to death. Your cousin and his gang directly attacked you and you alone trying to hurt you physically and emotionally at five to one odds. What we did was wrong but I assure you we were nothing like them."

"Thanks. So will you be joining me for Occlumency training." Harry asked.

"Sure thing, where do you want to do it."

"I found a very peaceful spot to meditate that you might like."

"Really, I couldn't find anywhere better than the library."

"Well it is a bit of a hidden spot that I found when I was exploring last week."

"Well lead the way." Sirius gestured out the door. Harry grinned and grabbed his godfathers hand. A thought and a push of magic later they disappeared with a loud crack.

"The duo appeared in a snowy paradise. They were next to a large pond that was fed by the trickling water from the towering glaciers behind it. The pond was almost twenty meters in diameter and the water was crystal clear. It stopped on a clift where the overflow cascaded down the mountain and looked over the valley of mountains around them.

"This is amazing Harry, how did you find it." Sirius asked.

"It's tucked away and can only be accessed by flying or magic of course. I was on my broom you brought me when I found it." Harry flicked his wand and gave an incantation to conjure two cylinders of ice about five metres long and one and a half across. He placed both in the middle of the pond and stuck them in the bottom so they stood straight. He cut the tops off to make the top a few centimetres above the surface. Harry then apparated into one of the platforms he created and sat down.

"Doesn't the cold bother you, and nice job on the ice columns by the way." Sirius said.

"I find the cold to be peaceful, the breeze feels just like flying. The rain though I cannot stand, rain is just miserable and wet." Harry responded.

The two sat on the platforms and feel into a meditative trance. Falling into their inner mind and conscience with relative ease. Sirius found the atmosphere not quite to his preference but it was still relaxing. Sirius prefered a forest setting in the dark of night. Harry however seemed to be entirely peaceful in this setting. It was very different from where they had meditated before inside the small castle.

After an hour both pulled out of the trance and apparated back to the castle. Harry read a book for his own amusement and curiosity, he was currently reading about seeker strategies. The two played a few games of chess before heading off to bed at nine thirty. Just to start it all over again.

**~•~**

Harry thoroughly enjoyed the time he had spent at castle Black so far and couldn't wait for his first christmas with a family of sorts. He had snuck out a few weeks ago to buy some christmas presents for his friends in england and Sirius and was happy with what he had sent them.

He woke up at six instead of six thirty according to his new schedule. He had changed it after finding his new special place. He had thought about warding it to ensure people stayed away and it wasn't stumbled upon but the magic in the air made it ever so less peaceful. He altered his schedule to finish fitness training half an hour early and allow him to meditate with the rising sun before breakfast.

Sirius slept in for christmas morning and skipped the usual fitness. Only getting up in time for breakfast as Harry landed in the entrance hall.

"Good morning Sirius, Merry Christmas."

"Merry christmas Harry and happy yuletide." Sirius replied.

"Right, happy yuletide. Best to cover both bases, what is the difference between them by the way. I get that the wizards traditionally celebrate yule but how is it different from christmas." Harry asked.

"Christmas is to do with the birth of the christian lord Jesus Christ. Yuletide celebrates the middle of winter and for summer to begin to arrive. It has nothing to do with religion and many yule celebrations were embraced by the christians for their christmas such as the decorating of a tree." Sirius explained.

"I guess that makes sense, I was about to start pancakes for breakfast." Harry replied.

"Sounds delicious, yes please."

The two got to work in the kitchen cooking a stack of pancakes to eat. Sirius drowned his in maple syrup and topped it with bacon. Harry chose Yoghurt, chocolate chips, banana and blueberries.

After breakfast they journeyed through the halls to the sun room where they had set up a tree. The tree had a fair amount of presents underneath it but not a huge pile.

"I changed the owl redirection ward to send them to a hotel room in Germany where I hired an elf to send them all here after stripping all enchantments from them. So your friends have sent you presents." Sirius explained.

"Thanks, I guess you can open your present from me first then." Harry handed Sirius a flat rectangular package from beneath the tree. Sirius delicately unwrapped it and pulled out a large frame.

The frame showed a wizarding portrait of three deer, a stag, doe and calf playing with a large shaggy black dog and a wolf in a field of Lilies. The frame was a simple oak frame with varies carvings of the marauders. At the top was a plaque reading 'The Marauders Live On' carved into it.

"Thank you Harry, it's beautiful." Sirius said and Harry thought he almost saw a tear in his godfathers eye.

"It gets better, I was reading the marauders journal and charmed it to be a true marauders portrait." Harry said.

Sirius smiled and drew his wand from its holster with ease. He touched it to the portrait and called "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The picture faded to reveal a piece of old parchment.

"Mr Prongs wishes Mr Padfoot a very merry christmas and a happy yuletide. Keep running old friend."

"Mr Moony would also like to wish Mr Padfoot a merry christmas, happy yuletide and a happy new year too. Stay safe and live life as it is meant to be lived, with pranks and laughs."

"Mrs Flower also gives her christmas, yule and new year wishes to Mr Padfoot and gives this warning, if you corrupt my son you better live forever or when you meet me in the afterlife you will have many regrets. Stay safe Padfoot."

The words appeared on the parchment and now tears feel freely from his eyes. The words faded out to reveal a map of Castle Black with two dots reading Sirius Black and Harry Potter in the sun room.

"Thank you Harry, this is the best present I could have ever asked for. I am impressed with your charms work though."

"It is easier to make the map when it is only three floors and a tenth the size with no secret passages and passworded doors. I am rather proud of the passworded invisibility charm to make the portrait fade away and activate the map." Harry said.

"Well Merry christmas and happy yuletide anyway. I will hang it over the fire." Sirius said as he handed Harry two packages.

The first was a small box that contained a silver ring and a golden key. The key looked just like Harry's key but had the number 714 on the handle. The ring was plain silver with a crest engraved on the top.

"I have appointed you as the heir to the ancient and noble house of Black. There is no one I would rather have to represent my heir and my wills have changed to make you sole beneficiary after a few small things to be given to some others. It is as close to my son as I can make you and it will help you to do anything you could want. The ring is the official heir ring to the house of Black and the key is to a Black trust vault." Sirius explained.

"Thank you Sirius, I am honoured." Harry said.

He opened the second package which was shaped like a book. When he opened it he found a photo album twice the size of the one he recieved in first year from Hagrid and full with photos of his parents, grandparents, great grandparents and the marauders. Towards the end were photos of his first year of life.

"Thank you Padfoot, I thought I would never get some of these photos back." Harry said, leaping out of his chair to give his godfather a hug. It was the first hug that Harry could ever remember in his life.

Harry unwrapped the other presents from his friends and found various books and sweets, some new quidditch gloves and a Weasley jumper. Harry could easily say that this was the best christmas he had ever had even so early into the day.

The two spent the day in the mountains snowboarding and skiing. They could go endlessly by going from the top to the bottom and apparating back to the top. If either was about to crash the same technique worked well.

**~•~**

Back at Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore was rather disappointed but happy all the same. His tracking charm on the owl and book he had sent to Harry had led him to a hotel in Germany before being disabled and was a dead end. He was happy however as he had just recieved some thick, woolly socks with warming, anti slip and waterproof charms from Harry along with a note saying he was safe and happy and would still return next year.

**~•~**

Harry had been progressing quickly through the spells and school work Sirius had set for him and was almost finished with all his third year texts. He had began looking at the most useful spells from fourth to seventh year as well and found some of them easy enough. He found that he had the strength to do any spell but the more difficult ones he couldn't get to work every time. As the two ate dinner Harry brought up something that had been bugging him for a while.

"Sirius." Harry asked.

"Whats up pup."

"When can I start trying the animagus transformation."

"Well it will be difficult for you because of certain circumstances. Usually the process starts be placing a mandrake leaf in your mouth and meditating every day, switching the leaf each week. It releases a toxin that helps the mind embrace your inner nature and expose your form in your meditation. Once you get there it is a matter of concentration and forcing your body to change slowly into your form. Most people use the meditation to find their form and only if it is useful do they follow through. Unfortunately you are immune to all potions and poisons because the venom in your blood destroys them before they do anything. The leaf would have no effect. The only way to find your form is to meditate constantly and actively search for your form within yourself." Sirius explained.

"So just keep doing what I am doing already."

"Sadly that is the only way. When you find your form I would be more than happy to help with the transformation."

"Thanks Sirius."

That night as the sun set Harry tried to search through his subconscious while he meditated in his spot on the mountain. He thought he made some progress. He found himself in his mind when it started to snow heavily. He didn't think weather was a thing within his mind. Maybe his form likes the snow.

**~•~**

Two months later and Harry was spending more and more time meditating in his spot on the mountain. He meditated an hour in the morning and two hours every evening after dinner. However no matter how much he tried he could get no further than a snowy blizzard.

"So pup, how is finding your form coming along." Sirius asked over lunch one day.

"Not so good, I can only find a snowy blizzard and what I think is a cave in the distance." Harry replied.

"Well that is pretty good. That is generally the first part of the meditation, finding your environment. For me it was a forest in the dead of night. I spent more and more time in the forest and eventually found the grim sitting tall on a rock. I had seen it for almost a week before I was finally able to approach it. When I patted it I sort of fused into it. From then on I could fall into the body of the grim within my mind and just had to work on furthering that to my physical body. That is easier said than done however and took me thirteen months. James took eleven and Peter sixteen."

"I was reading a book the other day about the old vikings and their transformations. They called it the spirit form but I think it is the same. They used the technique of traveling to the place they thought their form might live. They would not eat to bring forward their animalistic instincts and meditate in this place. Eventually they would meet their spirit form through this method."

"And you want to go camp in the mountains during a blizzard. Sounds like a bad idea, so many things could go wrong. Especially when you are so deep in your meditation." Sirius pointed out.

"I just can't see me doing it any other way."

"Fine, I want you to keep trying like you have and if you make no progress by the end of May we can discuss this some more." Sirius reasoned, so Harry did just that.

He meditated even more and still trained his spell work. He began to practice his wandless magic and could force it to do certain things. Wandless magic was rather tricky because it had no limits. There were no spells and the only drawback was what you could imagine.

As it was explained in 'The Theory of Wandless Magic.' Harry learnt that wandless magic was completely different from casting spells without a wand.

_The purpose of a wand is to focus your magic and give it form. Spells and wand movements shape your magic to give the desired result and are powered by the wand core. Without the core the magic would not form as it does. _

_Wandless magic is the channeling of your magic through you without the assistance of a wand. Because the magic is not shaped by the wand core it has no colour, no streak of light._

_Wandless magic is the bending of your magic to do as you ask it. To help understand it, think of it as water. Your magic is forever flowing inside you, by using wandless magic you pull it from inside you and using your mind, control it._

_It is a physical substance but invisible to the naked eye. You can grab something and lift it, pull it to you, push it away. Encase an object or yourself and create a sound barrier. Warm or cool the water to warm or cool an object. _

_Wandless magic cannot be divided into categories such as charms and transfiguration. It is simply the manipulation of your surroundings with magic. It is a category of its own. It is pure magic, magic with no interference, magic without a wand._

The animagus transformation, Harry learnt. Was using this pure magic to change your body to match your mind. To fit the animal that your mind has fused with. Eventually with such control and practice, your magic will obey as soon as you switch to your forms mind.

Harry could levitate a stone by using this pure magic and could do it without meditation before hand. He was no working to summon his wand to him using wandless magic. It seemed like the best use for wandless magic but was painstakingly difficult.

He still worked on finding his form and could hear a roar in the distance. What he couldn't find was why a lion or other big cat might be in the snow.

**~•~**

May came quickly and Harry had pinpointed the roar to the cave ahead in the distance. He was starting to have second doubts about his little excursion into the mountains. The roar sounded big and he didn't actually know what he might find in the snowy peaks of the mountains.

It was a week before he was set to leave on his trip into the mountains when it happened. He was meditating as usual in his spot in the mountain when it started snowing. Still in his mind's eye Harry didn't notice. The snow picked up and the water in the pond was swirling with the wind, lapping at his legs on the platform.

Within his mind Harry was focused only on the cave entrance he had found himself at. The roar was deafening as it echoed within the cave. Harry hesitated, should he enter the cave or wait here. His worry was for naught when a white head popped out of the cave. Soon followed by a white body with black stripes.

Standing before him 140 cm tall and 250 cm long was the largest tiger Harry had ever seen. It had large, strong front legs with vicious retractable claws. Its cost was snow white with black stripes like one would expect on a tiger. What was truly strange was its head. On its forehead was a clear marking of a lightning bolt in its fur pattern. Strangely it had two very large fang like teeth that curved under its chin. Each would be over a foot in length.

The tiger looked straight at Harry and roared loudly at him. Harry stood his ground and did not move. The tiger looked at him curiously and slowly approached. It stopped just before him and looked him in the eyes. Its head was only fifteen centimetres below his. It bowed its head and nudged his hand. Cautiously Harry raised his hand and petted the silky smooth fur coat of the tiger.

His mind shifted and he was looking through the eyes of the tiger. He looked around before turning back to his cave. He walked deep into the cave before stopping at its end. He curled up next to a second tiger slightly smaller than himself and closed his eyes.

Harry woke from his trance and quickly felt the cold chill him to his very core. He stood up and apparated back to the castle. He cast a few warming charms and a drying charm to reverse the effects of sitting in a snowstorm for two hours.

"Sirius I did it." Harry yelled as he ran through the house to find his godfather. He tried the library, then his bedroom and the dining room but couldn't find him anywhere. He went to check the map in the sun room but instead found a note.

_Harry_

_Gone to catch a traitorous rat at Hogwarts, be back by dinner._

_Padfoot._

"Padfoot you bloody impulsive Idiot." Harry yelled. He summoned a robe before apparating to the Nepal border. He walked across and apparated to the next borderline all the way to Scotland.


	4. Chapter 4 - Tests and Traitors

After many, many jumps Harry found himself in Hogsmeade Village for the first time. The night was dark and the distant dementors presence made Harry feel as if he was in a horror film.

He approached the Shrieking Shack, the most haunted building in all of Europe. The shack was two stories and contained two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, dining and bathroom. The master bedroom on the top floor once had multiple wards to contain something within it.

Harry walked up the stairs as shouting echoed through the house. A small trail of blood led through the house and Harry followed the trail to the second bedroom. Inside were three voices, Harry recognised Sirius' voice easily but couldn't place the other two. One was very coarse and sounded tired, the other was very squeaky and was pleading with the others.

Harry peaked around the door and found four people. The first was Sirius who stood in an offensive stance facing a second, short fat man with balding hair. The third man belonging to the coarse voice was slim and tall, he wore torn and patched robes, was heavily scarred and also had grey and slightly balding hair. The fourth was a young boy of fourteen with flaming red hair and a bleeding leg. Harry recognised his best friend Ron Weasley.

"Remus, you must get Sirius. He betrayed James and Lily." The fat man pleaded with the scarred man known as Remus.

"Then why are you still alive Peter." Remus snarled. So the fat man was Peter Pettigrew.

"You must understand, I was scared beyond scared. I was not brave like you or James. Sirius was the secret keeper, he betrayed us all. You need to believe me" Peter begged.

"Then swear an oath, on your life and magic that you were not the secret keeper of James, Lily and Harry Potter." Remus stated firmly.

"Surely you would not think that necessary, I am your friend, James wouldn't do this. He would believe me." Peter tried to reason.

"I Sirius Orion Black the third, do swear on my life and magic that I was not the secret keeper for the fidelius charm protecting James, Lily and Harrison Potter. So I swear, so mote it be." Sirius chanted easily. There was a small flash of magic as his oath was judged. "Lumos." Sirius cast to prove he still had his magic.

"Pl-please, he m-must of used dark magic, h-he is a Bl-Black after all. He m-must of faked th-the oath." Peter stuttered.

"Then give your oath Peter." Remus said.

"I Peter Elizabeth Pettigrew, do swe-" Before he could finish he morphed into a rat and darted for the door. Two stunners were sent after him but he slipped through. Sirius screamed in rage as he ran after the rat.

Harry saw Peter coming and plucked him off the ground as the rat scurried past. A quick stunner later and he was back in there control.

"Come on Sirius, you must be getting slack in your old age. Any idiot would no to lock the door so he can't get out." Harry said.

"Harry, what are you doing here." Sirius asked in surprise.

"Well it is well past dinner and I was hungry for a Three Broomsticks special. That as well as I couldn't let my favourite godfather get caught again and kissed by dementors. Thought I might lend a hand, looks like you needed it too."

"I am your only godfather Harry." Sirius pointed out.

"The details are not important, now what are we going to do with this." Harry said dangling the rat from its tail.

"Reverse the stunner so we can force him back. I'll stun him again and we can levitate him back to the castle."

Harry placed the rat on the ground, his foot on its neck and reversed his stunner. Remus cast the animagus reversal spell and the rat grew into the short, fat and balding traiter known as Peter Pettigrew. Remus stunned him again and levitated him out the door.

"Do you want to take him or will I." Harry asked, indicating to the now unconscious form of Ronald Weasley.

"I'll do it." Sirius offered.

"Brilliant, lets go." Harry said and walked down the stairs. Remus helped him through the trap door and Harry took charge of the Lumos charm to light the way for the group as they walked down the dark tunnel back to Hogwarts.

They came back out the Whomping Willow and held the knot in the trunk to freeze it. Sirius and Ron went through first, then Remus and Peter. Harry waited for them to be out of range before sprinting to them. The tree awoke and slammed a branch down that only just missed Harry as he escaped.

Remus suddenly dropped to his knees and groaned in pain. For the first time Harry noticed the very bright, full moon. Now bathed in its light Remus was struggling as his body shifted to that of a wolf.

"Harry, take those two and run." Sirius yelled as he shifted into Padfoot. But it was too late.

"Remus had fully shifted into a werewolf and lost control of his magic. The levitation and stunning charm faded and Pettigrew disappeared into the night as a rat.

Harry needed to make a quick decision, catch Peter and leave Ron or take Ron and leave Peter. He couldn't just leave his best friend to be eaten by a werewolf so his choice was made.

A feather light charm left his wand as he flicked Ron over his shoulder and ran. They ran straight towards the castle through the forest. Harry's legs burned from the strain but he ran on. A growl caught his attention and he twisted his head to see Moony launching at him.

Harry dropped to the ground and the wolf sailed over him, quickly followed by Padfoot. Harry grabbed Ron again and ran in the opposite direction to the wolf and grim as they also chased after. Padfoot trying his best to stop the wolf and divert its attention.

Harry ran on, changing direction constantly to evade the vicious beast that was hot on his tail. He ran onwards until he found himself at the edge of the black lake. He was stuck.

He could try going back the way he came but he would likely run straight into the wolf. On his left was a steep bank that he could try to climb but again the wolf would catch him. To his right and up ahead was the black lake. Cold and full of magical creatures, there was no way he could cross with Ron as well.

Certain death, Drowning himself and his friend, maybe save his friend and himself. The bank was his best option.

Harry levitated Ron to the top of the bank and began to climb after him. He was three metres up the bank and almost halfway to the top when he heard a growl and the thud of something heavy hitting the ground.

He looked back to see that Sirius had been knocked unconscious and had reverted back to himself. Moony was closing in on Harry by the second. The wolf climbed the bank in two bounds, grabbing Harry with his front claws and dragging him back down to the ground.

Harry cast a stunner but only served to enrage the wolf more. A banishing hex forced it backwards but it only came back even angrier. Harry was bleeding from his side where the wolf had clawed him and was struggling to stay standing.

He cast the bludgeoning hex and this time he heard a moan of pain from the wolf. He cast it again and again but the wolf was determined to satisfy his blood lust and Harry's bleeding side was all the more encouraging.

Suddenly a deathly cold feel over the place and the lake froze over. The wolf cowered back in fear before darting back into the woods. Harry's relief at the wolfs departure was short lived as almost one hundred dementors swarmed the area.

Harry was never good at the patronus charm and could only produce a feeble shield. Sirius insisted he get it right as it would be dementors that would come after him. No Harry wished he had practiced more.

"Expecto Patronum." Harry yelled into the night, a wisp of light flowed from his wand and formed a weak shield. The dementors pushed against the shield and shattered it easily.

"Expecto Patronum." Harry called again, the same wisp of light formed an even weaker shield. It dissipate after only three seconds. Harry collapsed to the ground from a mixture of exhaustion and pain.

"Please not Harry." He heard a woman scream.

"Step aside you foolish little mudblood." A man's voice called this time.

"No, kill me but leave Harry. Please don't hurt him." The woman pleaded again.

"As you wish mudblood." The man spat with utter hatred in his voice. "Avada Kedavra." Screaming, a flash of green, THUD. The woman with flaming red hair dropped to the ground, dead.

"Noo!" Harry screamed. His mind was flooded with memories. His parents reading him stories. His mother sacrificing herself for him. Sirius finding him in the forest that night. All the stories Sirius had shared over the past ten months. All the photos in his photo album from Sirius. Ron, Hermione, the Weasley's, Sirius, his parents. His family.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM'" He screamed at the top of his lungs. A great white stag made of magic burst from his wand, forcing Harry back onto the ground. The stag chased the dementors away from Harry and Sirius, Keeping them at bay. The staggs light grew to encompass the dementors in a shield that stood in front of the great stagg. Slowly the stagg pushed forward, driving the abominations away. Slowly, the dementors fled.

The stagg returned to Harry's side and nudged him with its nose. Harry reached out to pet its fur coat of magic. Happiness. Love. Peace. Harry had felt nothing like it wash over him, It felt amazing. The stagg faded as Harry faded into the depths of a deep sleep.

**~•~**

Harry's eyes fluttered open before quickly snapping shut again from the blinding white. His eyes slowly opened again as he sat up.

"Good morning Mr Potter, first day back and you are already in here. What will I ever do with you." The voice of Poppy Pomfrey, the school Medi-Witch said.

"Hopefully heal me up when I see you next. I think this sets a new record and though. What is it, ten months since I have been here last. This calls for a toast." Harry said.

"Yes, a toast to Mr Potter's god health for ten months. Now drink up." she replied as she gave him a handful of vials. Each one tasting worse than the last.

"Ah, good to see you awake my boy." Dumbledore said from the doorway.

"Professor, Sirius is innocent." Harry said quickly.

"I know Harry, Professor Lupin has already spoken to me."

"So he is free."

"Unfortunately without proof, all we have is the word of a werewolf and two teenagers." Dumbledore said sadly.

"And they sent him to prison on the assumptions of the public and his being in a compromising position. There is very little difference."

"True, however the minister has ordered his kiss. There is nothing I can do."

"So because the minister is an idiotic and self centred arsehole who thinks of nothing but his public opinion, Sirius will die."

"It is the ministers belief that Black has used memory charms to change your opinion of him."

"And when did the minister become a trained medical wizard. Madam Pomfrey seems to have found nothing of memory charms over the past ten months."

"I have done all I can, there is nothing more that can be done. Sirius will be kissed in an hour, I am truly sorry Harry." Dumbledore said before leaving the room and locking the door.

"Mr Potter, what are you doing." Madam Pomfrey yelled as he jumped out of bed.

"Just because the headmaster is incompetent does not mean that Sirius must die." Harry said. "Reducto, Accio, Accio." Harry shattered the window to the infernary and summoned two school brooms.

"Mr Potter, Harry." Madam Pomfrey yelled after him as he jumped out the window and flew away.

"Point me Sirius Orion Black." Harry said. His wand spun to point at the east tower on the seventh floor. Harry pushed the old school broom to its limits as he raved to the tower.

"Reducto." Harry smashed the window to the room sirius was kept in.

"Harry, what are you doing." Sirius asked.

"Saving your arse, now fly out here." Harry said handing Sirius the second broom. Sirius jumped out the window and flew to be level with Harry.

"Reparo." Harry cast and fixed the window. "Go Sirius, get out of here. I will be fine." Harry yelled at his godfather who justed hovered in place.

"Thank you Harry." Sirius said before turning his broom to face the gates and racing to get out of the schools wards.

Harry turned back to face the fourth floor where the still broken window of the hospital wing was. He flew back at a more sedated pace and climbed through the window. The broom was banished away and the window repaired within ten seconds and Harry was back in bed.

Ten minutes later shouting could be heard down the corridor. It steadily grew louder before the doors slammed open. In walked Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge, Amelia Bones and Severus Snape.

"I am telling you, it was Potter. Arrest him." Snape snarled.

"Did you free Sirius Black from our holding Mr Potter." Fudge asked.

"No" Harry lied.

"He's lying." Snape shouted in reply.

"It does not matter if I am, you have no proof. Only the hearsay of an overgrown bat and a

idiotic man child. For all we know Black may have charmed you all to think I am involved. From what I hear, that is simply not enough for legal actions to take place. Besides, I have been in the hospital wing the entire time. Right Poppy." Harry said, all heads turned to look at the flustered witch.

"Um, yes, of course. I would never allow a patient to leave when they are under my care." She said.

"Well there we have it, case dismissed. Now I am very tired, could you keep the noise down." Harry said. He rolled over to face away from them and faked sleep.

"You little brat, Bones, arrest him." Fudge yelled.

"You want me to arrest Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, who has an ironclad alibi, on the belief of an ex death eater who is only guessing. No thank you Minister" Amelia Bones replied.

"My patients need rest and this noise is not needed in a hospital. Headmaster, surely there is a better place you can argue amongst each other." Madam Pomfrey said.

"Right, we are done here Minister, let us adjourn to my office where we can discuss further." Dumbledore said.

"I don't want to speak with you Dumbledore. We are done here, Amelia let's go." Fudge yelled, storming out of the room. Dumbledore smiled and followed after along with Snape who scowled all the way.

**~•~**

Harry actually did fall asleep and did not wake again until lunch. He was again fed awful tasting potions and scanned with every scan possible.

"Madam Pomfrey, I would appreciate it if you could keep the scars on my chest just between us for now." Harry said quietly.

"Of course my healer's oath prevents me from doing otherwise. But you already knew that didn't you." She said with concern.

"Harry, your back. where have you been." Hermione squealed as she entered the room.

"Hello Hermione, have a good summer." Harry responded.

"Luckily you are back in time for exams. We have so much studying to do." She said. Harry groaned inwardly and sighed. Sirius couldn't wait until after exams to chase Peter. Nope, it needed to be two weeks before they start.

"Well the papers got it partly right, I was with Sirius Black but I was not kidnapped. Well I suppose I kind of was but not in a bad way. He saved me." Harry began to explain what he had been doing all year, conveniently leaving out details like why he needed saving and where they actually were.

Ron had awoken a few minutes in and Harry needed to start again but the two most important people knew. Now he could rest easily that they were not pointlessly worrying.

"Of course you cannot tell anybody about this." Harry said.

"Of course, we would never betray you." they both said.

"I know that, I guess with this whole Pettigrew thing I am a bit paranoid." Harry responded.

"If you would like, we can both take an oath to keep your secrets. We could all do it, that way we are absolutely certain. I read all about them last summer and they are rather interesting." Hermione suggested.

"You guys don't need to do that. I trust that you wouldn't do anything like that." Harry said.

"We won't to, to show that even if something happens. Your secrets are safe with us until the day we die. I Hermione Jean Granger, do hereby swear to keep the secrets of Harry James Potter and Ronald Bilius Weasley my own until death do us part. So I swear, so mote it be." Hermione chanted, a brief flash of magic and the oath was set.

"Alright then, I Ronald Bilius Weasley, do hereby swear to keep the secrets of Harry James Potter and Hermione Jean Granger my own until death do us part. So I swear, so mote it be." Ron chanted, a flash signified the acceptance of his oath.

"I Harry James Potter, do hereby swear to keep the secrets of Hermione Jean Granger and Ronald Bilius Weasley my own until death do us part. So I swear, so mote it be." A third flash of magic and the oaths were complete.

"So when are the two of you released." Hermione asked.

"I don't know, I don't think there is anything wrong with me. Ron looks capable of walking just fine. Poppy." Harry called it.

"What is it Mr Potter." the mediwitch asked as she fussed with the bed sheets.

"When can we leave." Harry asked.

"When I say so." She replied.

"And when do you say we can leave." Harry retorted.

She scanned them both with her wand before replying "The both of you may leave for dinner tonight."

"Brilliant." Harry said as the Hogwarts healer returned to her office.

"Your on first name basis with Madam Pomfrey." Hermione questioned.

"No but she hasn't said anything yet. She still only calls my Mr Potter though." Harry laughed.

"So will you be taking the exams." Hermione asked.

"If I want to get into all my classes next year and not repeat third year I have to. I am confident that I can at least pass them all with EE. Sirius was a big help in tutoring me for potions along with reading over some of my mum's old school books." Harry said.

"Were they different text books. Which ones."

"No she had written notes in the margins of each potion. Little tips and shortcuts, It helped me understand how the potion works I guess. There were notes for almost every potion from alterations to improve it just to reminders to double check things are done properly."

"She wrote on her school books, why would anyone damage a book like that." Hermione said in shock.

"It wasn't damaging it, the book was hers to do with as she pleased. If anything she improved it. I don't remember it word for word but I can remember things like powdered fairy wings work faster for brewing time but crushed give a longer shelf life. Just some small practical things." Harry assured her. If he had said more Hermione would hound him for every last bit of information.

"Oh right, I read about that in another potions book. Handy tip I suppose." she said.

**~•~**

Harry and Hermione still revised and studied hard for the exams. They only had two weeks of classes before exam leave started and Harry felt he wasn't behind. His exams started on the seventh of June and consisted of one subject a day, for four days. Friday to Sunday was left off to study some more before starting again.

Monday was History so that meant an early exam from nine in the morning to lunch. This left the afternoon off for Harry to play a pickup game of quidditch on his fire bolt that dobby had retrieved for him. Dobby hadn't stayed with them much at Castle Black but stopped in once a week to check that he was okay.

It felt great for Harry to fly again and the Gryffindor team beat Hufflepuff with ease. It had been difficult for Oliver Wood to accept Harry back after he 'Abandoned the quidditch cup.' as he had put it. Cormac Mclaggen had played Seeker and was rather awful. He did not have any tactics beyond tailing the other seeker. Apparently the Gryffindor Ravenclaw game took seven hours because both seekers used the same tactic. Follow the other. Eventually the snitch just about presented itself on a silver platter to Mclaggen and Gryffindor won.

Tuesday brought Transfiguration and Harry was positive he aced both theory and practical. Wednesday morning was free with the Astronomy theory in the afternoon and practical at midnight. Thursday came with Herbology and Harry felt he did well. Likely an O or EE. Definitely not better than Neville but he didn't fail.

The extended weekend was a blessing in disguise. Harry had so much fun relaxing in the sun by the black lake. As far away from the area that had the dementors as possible. The dementors at least had been removed and taken back to Azkaban after Dumbledore threatened to tell the press that they almost killed Harry. Fudge of course used the press to tell the world that the aurors were now well equipped to defend the school with the increase of graduates from the academy. Only seven aurors graduated that year so the DMLE was really in no better position than the rest of the year.

The new week brought Runes along with it and Harry was positive that he got an O. He, like Remus seemed to really click with runes and it made a lot of sense to him. Tuesday was his second elective and Care for Magical Creatures was passed with ease. Wednesday came with the defense exam and Harry smashed the practical with flying colours and was beyond confident in his theory. Last exam for the week was potions and Harry determined that he did not muss Snape breathing down his neck whilst he brewed. He knew he did well but how Snape would mark remained to be seen.

Finally exams were over and Harry had another week to relax and enjoy his last few days in the castle before returning home for the summer. The summer, the thought had yet to cross Harry's mind but he still had no idea where he would be staying.

He approached the headmasters office entrance but found he did not know the password. After trying several different magical sweets he gave up guessing.

"I seek the headmasters help in a matter of importance." Harry spoke clearly to the gargoyle.

Ten seconds later the large stone structure moved aside to give Harry entrance. He climbed the winding staircase and was welcomed in before he could knock.

"What brings you to my office today Harry." Dumbledore asked.

"I finally worked out what you meant last year." Harry replied.

"I am not sure I understand the meaning of your question my boy." Dumbledore said.

"I was always confused by your statement, and you have repeated it many times to many people. Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who seek it. I never understood because your office is guarded by a stone gargoyle with a forever changing password. Really, all we had to do was ask for help and it would be given."

"Well done, Usually people just wait for help to find them. Not everything in life will be presented on a silver platter and not everything is easy. It is important to actively seek help when it is needed. I however, assume you did not come here to discuss riddles and hints with an old man. What is it you seek help with."

"Where will I be spending the summer. I understand that my relatives are no longer in England so I cannot stay with them. Where is it I will be going." Harry asked.

"Well that is up to you, Where do you wish to stay Harry." Dumbledore asked.

"I would really like to stay with Sirius but I don't know if I can at the moment. I think it best to let things cool off and for him to cover his tracks before seeing him again. I would say the Weasley's but I don't think it would be practical for me to stay there for two months. Not without paying some form of rent that they would not accept. I suppose I could stay at the Leaky Cauldron but I don't know if I really want to spend two months there. Maybe I could go to a high end muggle hotel for a month, then stay at the Weasley's." Harry said aloud to himself.

"I am sure the Weasley's would love to have you all summer but you are of course correct. They would not accept any payment and they are already pressed for money. The prize money they won helped immensely but I believe it has been all but spent by now. Sirius will be occupied and the Leaky Cauldron has far to many visitors and is not ideal for long term stay. A muggle hotel would not be seen by many wizards if any at all and security is rather fabulous within the more expensive varieties. My only concern is that they are in fact expensive, are you sure that is what you want to do." Dumbledore said.

"I know that Sirius has given me a vault at Gringotts with five thousand galleons in it. When I turn seventeen I gain access to my family vault which has much more and several properties that I cannot access yet. A months stay at a high end hotel will cost no more than fifteen hundred galleons and I can stay at the Weasley's from my birthday onwards." Harry said.

"And what hotel would you stay at." Dumbledore inquired.

"I haven't gotten there yet, maybe a small stay at the Leaky Cauldron to book a room and then off on my grand luxury summer." Harry suggested.

"I will permit this only if you inform me of exactly where you are staying and when you will be there." Dumbledore said.

"I agree to those terms, it will be great to just relax for a bit. It has been a very stressful month headmaster. I chased my godfather across the continent to stop him doing something stupid. Mind you he did it anyway but still. And exams, what a nightmare. I think I will really enjoy spending the summer having anything I need at the ring of a bell. Quite the opposite from past summers." Harry said.

"Yes, yes. You best be off now, dinner is in fifteen minutes and I believe you have a letter to send to the Weasley family."

"Right you are Albus, pleasure catching up with you. Do stay well." Harry said, bubbling with excitement at what his summer may hold.

Hermione had pressured him into doing half the holiday homework already so he was safe there. He could do the rest at the Weasley's. To believe that he would have an entire month without training, cooking, school, cleaning. It was just so foreign and exciting for him. This summer was going to be great, he just knew it. Nothing could make it not so.


	5. Chapter 5 - Summer of Dreams

Harry sighed in contempt as he flopped onto his king sized bed. The first week of his holidays had been the best he had ever had. He only spent a single night at the Leaky Cauldron. He soon had been booked into the Hilton Hotel in one of the top suites with the help of Dumbledore as his guardian. The general story was that Dumbledore was Harry's grandfather and they were here on a business trip, Dumbledore would be busy almost constantly and Harry would mostly be at the hotel by himself.

His room had the biggest, softest, warmest bed he had ever seen. The bathroom had a jacuzzi bathtub and all the scented bubbles he could imagine. Meals, were something else entirely. Eating in a different restaurant every day with the beat food money could buy. Harry's bed was made for him, clothes cleaned and folded, towels changed and room cleaned for him.

He spent his days relaxing in his room, watching movies at the cinemas and exploring muggle london. He still meditated day and night and exercised in the mornings. But that didn't start until at least ten.

Harry didn't understand why rich people always walked around so stiff and acted like there was a stick up their arse. Living the high life was the most relaxing thing ever. Who could be so stiff when there were chairs, that literally gave you a massage as you watched TV or read a book. What could they possibly have to make them so stuck up and unnatural. He would melt into those chairs every evening, when he came out his muscles were so loose and stress free he felt the wind might blow him away.

The hotel completely amazed Harry with its service and technology. I mean how fast do those elevators really go, seriously, it was amazing. And how high you could jump when you reached the top, or trying to jump but your body just not working at the bottom.

They had pools that you could swim and swim for hours, without moving anywhere. The jets made a current to swim against and you could go until you physically couldn't, without having to turn around and go the other way once. He couldn't believe he had never scene a treadmill either. It was just like the pool but with running. Absolutely mind blowing. Of course he only used the treadmill, the pool not being his thing.

And looking around he was incredibly disappointed at the attitude of some of his neighbors. Some old hag two doors down started yelling at the room service people because there was a lump in her bed. Turns out she just had her wallet in her back pocket. Completely mental she was. This poor girl no more than eighteen, was trying to do her best and find the problem with the bed. Whilst this old bat screams her head off at how pathetic and uneducated the younger generation was. AND THE OLD LADY WAS THE ONE WHO WAS STUPID. Did they not teach manners back in the sixteenth century because she clearly didn't learn any. She didn't even say thank you afterwards. Utterly horrible these rich people were.

Harry had found the ins and outs of the rich life pretty quickly though. His kind attitude and manners earned him free candies in his room, a free refill with his meals. It was brilliant what a please and thank you could get a kid.

He hadn't touched his homework for the first two weeks. But after a while the lack of things to do and extreme amounts of free time caught up on him. He pulled out his assignments during the third week and by the end of the week they were all done.

Harry made a stop into Diagon Alley to buy some new books on dueling techniques and the animagus transformation. He had sent a letter to Sirius with Hedwig and had been given permission to start changing is nails to claws, teeth to sharpen and lengthen, grow fur, ears on the top of his head and eventually a tail. So far Harry had gotten two claws on his left hand.

Sirius had told him that it wasn't quantity but quality with the transformation. "There is no point being able to turn your entire right hand into a paw if it takes you half an hour. Learn to do a single finger to a claw, when that becomes a mere thought begin the second individually. When the second is just as easy, learn to do both at once. Slowly you learn a new finger and then it all together. If you do them one at a time with your entire body you will accomplish nothing. The transformation is not only changing your body into that of an animal, it is doing it smoothly and instantly."

Harry was currently working towards his third claw. He figured that in a fight, if he could turn his off hand into a vicious and deadly paw with sharp claws he could use it in close combat. The transformation was slow and in the three weeks he had been trying, he had made minimal progress.

**~•~**

He was set to leave to the Weasley's on the thirtieth of July, that meant he could wake up with his surrogate family. His holiday so far had served its purpose. He was relaxed and well rested. For the first time in his life he was going to the Burrow without a single injury and a full stomach. Harry hadn't felt starved for over a year and he would not miss the feeling.

His transformation was progressing slowly. He had gotten the fourth finger to form into a fury finger with a claw and then all four together. His next step was slightly more difficult, he needed to remove his thumb. Fortunately it could almost just merge into his hand instead of outright disappearing but it was more difficult than growing fur and a claw. He also needed to do it without the Ron finding out. But that was a problem to solve at a later date, today he was leaving his Hotel and moving to the Burrow.

Harry had packed his trunk and had it taken down to the Lobby earlier that day and was just relaxing in by the pool, soaking up the warm sun until lunch time. At eleven thirty he got out and changed into the clothes he had left out. His wet shorts were dried as much as possible before being wrapped in a plastic bag. He collected his trunk from the man in the lobby and placed his shorts inside before heading onto the streets. He stuck his wand out over the street and prepared for the loud bang that he was told would arrive with the knight bus.

BANG

He jumped in the air and almost feel backwards. A flush of embarrassment later and he looked up to see a young wizard around mid twenties with a series pimple problem.

"Welcome to the knight bus, emergency travel for the lost witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike and I will be your conductor for today. Eleven sickles gets you where you need to go, thirteen gains a beverage of your choice from hot chocolate, tea, coffee or butter beer, fifteen sickles buys a hot water bottle to go with it. Where will it be today young fellow." Stan asked.

"The Burrow, St Ottery, Catchpole please. Just the ride, no extras." Harry replied

"Welcome aboard the knight bus." Stan said as he claimed the eleven silver coins.

The ride could only be described by one word for Harry. Terrific. The goblin carts were always fun with their exhilarating speeds but the knight bus was so much better. The speed was increased tenfold and the crazy turns were sharper, faster and all the more disorientating. Harry loved every minute of it. It was almost like being on a broom again but without the wind. Five minutes later and Harry climbed off the bus smiling.

He began to haul his heavy trunk up the road to the unnatural structure that the Weasley family claimed as home. The house was at the end of a long drive and the bus left him at the start of it. It took Harry over five minutes to get to the front door, the Weasley's didn't need to know he could apparate just yet.

"Oh Harry." Mrs Weasley cooed when she opened the door, enveloping him in her trademark back breaking hugs that almost matched Hagrids.

"Hello Mrs Weasley, it is good to see you too." Harry replied when his lungs were freed to breath again.

"Well come in, come in. Lunch is just about to start so leave your trunk there dear." She told him and practically dragged him to the kitchen with mutters of "Far to thin" and "Don't know what Abus was thinking."

"Hey Mate." Ron greeted him when he entered the room along with a chorus of "Hi Harry" from the other Weasley's.

"So how's your summer been so far." Harry asked.

He was thrown into a very loud conversation including the four youngest Weasley and Hermione, alternating between each of them as they explained snippets of the first month of their summers.

Hardy listened to their explanations as he ate the delicious lunch that Mrs Weasley had prepared. Harry enjoyed the familiar atmosphere of the lunch. It was a nice change from the far more formal and quiet meals he had come to expect from the past month.

"So Harry, want to play some quidditch." Ron asked.

"I could play a round of two on two, no keepers, forst to two hundred." Harry said.

"Sounds like fun." Fred, Harry thought, said.

"Yes, let us get our brooms." The other twin added.

Soon Harry was playing a game of two on two against Ron and one of the twins. Harry had never noticed it before, but one twin seemed better at defense and the other offense. He assumed it may be the same for their beater plays. Harry could never tell them apart when flying but having one twin focus on defending the chasers and feeding the bludgers slowly to the other to then offensively attack the opposition. It made some sense that one would be better than the other.

Harry never really saw the link between the positions in quidditch but they were their. A defensive beater would have faster reflexes to block the speeding bludgers and be good at finding middle grounds to cover wider areas. Their reflexes could substitute to a seeker and positioning of a defensive chaser. An offensive beater would excel at predicting where others would be and aiming there, they would have more power and better aim. There play reading skills could be flipped to go where they would not as a chaser along power and aim to throw powerful and accurate shots.

Fortunately Harry had the offensive twin on his team that Harry decided was now dubbed Fred and the other was George. Harry did well to cover ground as he did when looking for the snitch and his reflexes helped save many goals. Fred also did well to occupy George whilst Harry manoeuvred around Ron to receive a pass for an open goal. The games purpose was more about fun than anything but it was good for practicing to make breakaways since almost every single one ended in a goal.

Harry and Fred won the game by thirty points and they returned to the house. Ron seemed to be blaming it on Harry's broom and didn't seem Happy that he got a new one when his nimbus was just fine. Harry really couldn't be bothered to start the line of questions that would come if he said his Uncle had burnt it along with all his other things. If he asked what happened to it he would say it got broken but beyond that was not important.

"So how was your summer so far Harry." Hermione asked him as he played a losing game of quidditch with Ron.

"It's been the best, I think it was one of the beat decisions I have ever made to spend it relaxing in a hotel. Not a single thing to worry about and not an odd stare for an entire month. It was heaven. I did finish all my summer work when I was there and read some books to keep me busy so you don't have to nag me. I suppose it was the first real holiday I have ever had to be honest." Harry explained.

"Well that is good for you, I can't wait to see my test results when they arrive. It's only three days away, they always arrive on the first Monday of August which falls on the first this year."

"I hope I can stay in my classes, if I don't I would have to repeat the year or take Divination and Muggle studies." Harry said.

"Why would you have to take those." Hermione asked.

"Because I could take a guess at what third year divination teaches, literally it is only guess work. I would like to think that I learnt enough about muggles to make my way through the third year curriculum in that. Therefore if I fail I have a fall back to prevent joining third years for my electives. You need to get a P on at least four subjects for them to make you repeat the year for core subjects and that would only possibly happen for History, Astronomy and Potions if Snape is nasty which means I am safe." Harry said.

"You shouldn't only aim for a pass Harry, you should always push yourself for excellence. Or in this case Outstanding." Hermione reprimanded him for his lack of effort in his school work.

"Let's just wait for the results." Harry replied, turning back to his game in time to see Ron check his king.

**~•~**

Harry woke up early in the day of his birthday, It was never a very special day in Harry's opinion. His birth was no miracle and it was never celebrated before so why start now. He enjoyed all the well wishers and presents that his friends sent him but the excitement was just never there.

So his morning routine was unchanged, he awoke early and jogged around the burrows grounds. He contemplated a swim in the pond but decided against it. Sadly there were no state of the art gym equipment to use so press ups, pull ups and similar exercises using his body weight would need to do. Harry was showered and dressed by seven thirty and no one was the wiser.

Mrs Weasley had breakfast started when he went down and Mr Weasley was eating scrambled eggs at the table.

"Good morning Harry dear, Happy birthday." Mrs Weasley greeted him.

"Yes, Happy birthday Harry." Mr Weasley said.

"Thank you Mrs Weasley, Mr Weasley and good morning to you both." Harry replied.

The morning went slowly as everybody got out of bed at their own pace. If not for Mrs Weasley telling George to wake him, Ron would have slept right through to lunch. Another game of quidditch began with the arrival of Bill and Charlie that placed Harry, Bill and George against Ron, Charlie and Fred. Unfortunately the later team reached two hundred points first and Harry lost.

"Wonderful, just in time for lunch." Mrs Weasley said upon their return. "I was just about ready to send Ginny off to get you."

The fire flared green for a moment and Dumbledore stepped out wearing robes of a brilliant yellow.

"Happy birthday my boy." Dumbledore greeted Harry.

"Thank you professor." Harry replied.

"I understand you lost many of your possessions last summer so I contacted your relatives and asked if the had anything left. There is a very strong piece of magic on this cloak Harry, it alone was still remaining. Do take extra care of it as it would be a shame to lose it." Dumbledore said, handing Harry a package very similar to Harry's mysterious christmas present in first year.

"Thank you professor, I was worried I'd lost the last piece of my father I have." Harry said, excitement and relief filled his voice.

"Well I wish I could stay but the school needs to prepare for the coming year, there is some very exciting things happening at Hogwarts this year Harry, I think you might enjoy it." Dumbledore said.

"Nope, you can count me out. I'm just going to have a quiet year this time round thank you. I've had enough excitement at Hogwarts to last me a lifetime." Harry replied.

"So you have, however I assure you this will be purely entertainment. Alas I have said too much and stayed too long. I hope to see you all again on the first of September. On second thought, are those crystal limes." The aged headmaster said, satisfying his sweet tooth by taking a few of the sweets before flooing away.

"Nice of Albus to stop in, better eat lunch while its warm." Mrs Weasley said.

Lunch was a pleasant affair, Mrs Weasley had cooked an array of salads and fillings for some very delicious sandwiches. She cooked beef, ham, chicken and some fish along with every salad Harry could name and some he couldn't like jeptu leaves. They were like lettuce but very sweet and if mixed with fema bean juice they changed colour and wriggled. They appeared to be a favourite salad topping in wizarding britain.

After lunch Harry was sat in the living room and had presents handed to him from every direction. Ginny gave him some broom polish, Ron a bag of assorted sweets, Hermione a book on quidditch tactics, the twins gave some Zonko's products and some special creations, Percy a book on politics that may actually be useful, Charlie handed him a practice snitch of his own and Bill a book on practical rune applications in wards and enchantments. But it was Mr and Mrs Weasley's gift that was by far the best.

"They are tickets to the quidditch world cup final next saturday. Bulgaria vs Ireland here in england. We are all going." Mr Weasley explained.

Harry was stunned, these were top box tickets and they were taking him. It would be the first professional quidditch game he would ever see and he could learn a lot.

"Thank you, it means a lot that you would include me in this." Harry said.

"It's no worries Harry, your like family to all of us." Mr Weasley replied.

"Well you can all go play outside for the rest of the day. Dinner will be at six thirty so be back inside and ready by then." Mrs Weasley dismissed them all.

Harry went to put the rest of his gifts in his room he shared with Ron and was pleased to see a large Black eagle owl perched on his bed. Sitting next to the owl was a small flat package and a letter.

_Harry,_

_Happy birthday kiddo, fourteen already I can't believe it. I remember teaching you to fly your first broom with James when Lily was shopping. Your need to fly faster and higher caused a bit of accidental magic and you broke the training barrier on it. You flew out the window and off into the sky. James was shitting himself running after you but Lily came home when you broke the window and caught you. James came skidding to a halt and ran back the other way so quick he left skid marks on the footpath._

_Anyway, the owl's name is Regulus and he is my personal owl now. I got him from an owl shop where I am now in the caribbean. Beautiful beaches and woman as far as the eye can see. I am having a great time and hope you are too._

_Call my name into the mirror if you ever want to see me._

_With love, Snuffles ( my new name )_

Harry opened the package to find a small pocket mirror that one might use for makeup. It was not overly flashy or expensive. A simple black flip up mirror with a staggs face etched onto the front. Deciding to test it out he flipped it open.

"Sirius." He said into the mirror, nothing happened.

"Sirius Black." Still nothing.

"Padfoot." The mirror pulsed with warmth similar to a phone ringing. After a few seconds it stopped and Sirius' face filled the mirror.

"Hey kiddo, Happy birthday." Sirius said with a smile. He looked far to healthy for anyone to think he was a fugitive. With his hair clean and pulled back, body filled out, skin less pale and face clean shaved he looked rather different to the wanted posters all around britain.

"Thanks Snuffles." Harry sniggered at the name. "You look good for a fugitive."

"Yes I am in good shape aren't I, doctors say that running is the best exercise and well, I live on the run. You should try it sometime, I might start a new exercise program from it." Sirius replied, they both crumbled into laughter.

"We burn the bodies, you burn the fat." Harry continued the joke.

"Your ex ever call you fat, take his life and change yours with fugitive fitness." Sirius added.

"We would be billionaires Pad, I've got to go sorry. The twins are convincing everyone to go swimming in the pond. I guess I am about to learn how to swim." Harry told Sirius.

"You can't swim, why didn't you ask me to teach you." Sirius asked.

"We were living in frozen mountains, not ideal swimming conditions. I might just stay near the shallows I suppose." Harry replied.

"Okay, don't drown. Call again soon."

"Damn, there goes my plans for the day. Bye Snuffles." Harry closed the lid of the mirror and the connection cut off.

Harry found the swimming clothes from his trunk and put them on. The bottoms were red and gold stripes and he had a long sleeve, plain black rash shirt to cover the scars that never disappeared on his chest.

He stuck to his plan and stayed in the shallower parts of the pond and feigned tiredness when races began, choosing to sit on the edge and watch. His plan was succeeding until Bill sat next to him on the edge of the pond.

"So why aren't you racing with the rest of them Harry." He asked.

"I am tired, maybe I will another time." Harry replied.

"It's not my place and I won't judge you Harry, but can you swim." Bill asked.

"Of course I can, I've been swimming for the past two hours." Harry said.

"No, you've been playing in the water, the moment you needed to swim across the deep end you jumped out. So I repeat my question, can you swim."

"No, I was never privileged enough to be allowed swimming lessons." Harry said.

"I thought that give free basic lessons at muggle primary schools."

"They do, I was never given swim gear. I was told I would not need them. I don't particularly plan on swimming much so I will make do without it. Lets just hope I don't need to save someone from drowning in a lake." Harry answered.

"I guess you could always fly throw the water on a broomstick. You would go slower but it would still work." Bill said more to himself than anyone else.

"Well I think I might head inside then Bill. I've had enough playing in wager for today. And I'd appreciate if you could just keep this between you and I." Harry said as he stood up. Bill followed and the two walked back to the house together.

Dinner was just as loud as any Weasley dinner and dessert was absolutely divine. There was all the treacle tart Harry could consume and a cake shaped like a broom. They ate and talked well into the night and Harry feel asleep the moment his head hit the pillow of his small camp stretcher

His morning routine was unchanged and he ran his run and did his exercises as the sun rose. He greeted the elder Weasley's and said goodbye again in one sentence as they left the house for work for the start of the new week. The surprise of the morning was Hermione being up so early, it was only seven thirty.

"How come you're up so early 'mione." Harry asked.

"Our exam results arrive today, I don't know how I waited until the sixth last year. How can you be so calm when there are owls with some of the most important results you will ever get on their way." Hermione mumbled very quickly, all in one big breath.

"Alright then skipper, whatever you say." Harry ignored her mutters about her tests as he ate his breakfast. Then to Harry's incredible surprise, Hermione squealed in pleasure. Off in the distance seven small owls could be seen approaching. To Harry's even greater surprise, Percy squeaked as well.

"They're here, they're here." The two school freaks yelled as they bounced up and down.

"Calm down, you yelling is only going to scare the owls off." Harry said and they stopped dead in there screaming. Both immediately sat down and waited quietly. The owls landed on the table and Mrs Weasley calmly took each letter and handed them to the three that were down already.

"Kids, breakfast is ready and school letters are here." Mrs Weasley yelled up the stairs. The sound of groans and patter of feet could be heard before four more redheads came down the stairs and entered the kitchen.

"Shall we start with the oldest and work our way down then. Percy, read them out." Mrs Weasley prompted.

"Transfiguration, EE, Charms, EE, Advanced Arithmancy, A, A History of Magic, A, Ancient Runes, EE, Astronomy, EE." Percy stated proudly.

"Oh well done, well done. Brilliant grades for a good job in the ministry. Fred George."

"Charms, EE, Transfiguration P, Potions EE, History, T, Astronomy, T, Herbology, EE, Care of Magical creatures, P, Divination, T, Defense, EE," Fred said flatly, so Fred is the offensive beater Harry realised.

"Fredrick, how could you do so bad, those are very important exams and you just flipped them off like nothing. You need better than that to get a ministry job. George tell me yours are better." Mrs Weasley berated her son.

"Nope, an A in transfiguration and an A in Defense, the rest are the same." George stated with equal emotion as his brother.

"I cannot believe you two, how do you expect to get a job in the ministry with grades like that." Mrs Weasley said.

"We don't plan on joining the ministry, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes is the place for us." Fred said proudly.

"And what on earth is that." Mrs Weasley asked.

"The name of the joke shop we plan to open of course mum." George said just as proudly.

"I will not allow my sons to open some stupid shop for practical jokes. You better study hard this year or there will be trouble. Hermione, how did you do.

"Transfiguration 90, Charms 89, Potions 74, Defense 85, Herbology 87, Arithmancy 83, Runes 88, Creatures 80, Muggle studies 100, History 93, Astronomy 87." Hermione read aloud with increasing amount of glee on her face.

"Well done dear, well done. Ron what about you.

"Transfiguration 63, Charms 52, Potions 39, Defense 70, Herbology 41, Astronomy 42, History 27, Divination 68, Creatures 59" Ron said.

"That's great, very good Ron, very good. Harry, how did you do."

"Transfiguration 99, Charms 93, Potions 89, Defense 100, Herbology 84, Astronomy 81, History 92, Runes 100, Creatures 88" Harry said indifferently.

"Harry, that is amazing. You might have done better than Hermione." Mrs Weasley said.

"Yes Harry, well done. But I think it was a little unfair that you got private tutoring." Hermione said with a scowl. Who thought Hermione could be as jealous as Ron.

"Well Ginny, how did you do." Mrs Weasley asked.

"Transfiguration 70, Charms 68, Potions 58, Defense 75, Herbology 66, Astronomy 48, History 62, Divination 61, Creatures 86." Ginny said proudly.

"Very good grades Ginny dear, you could go anywhere you like with those grades." Mrs Weasley congratulated her only daughter

"So quidditch after breakfast then." Ron said, the large family sat down at the table and ate there fill before a big day of quidditch, swimming, board games and cards. Mrs Weasley made everyone stop for an hour after lunch to study because of the twins abysmal grades but Harry didn't mind.

**~•~**

"Harry, Ron, time to get up boys." Mrs Weasley said gently. Harry sat up quickly before slouching and slowly getting out of bed.

"Ronny dear, you need to wake up now." Mrs Weasley repeated and shook him gently.

"Ron's a deep sleeper Mrs Weasley, try this." Harry said as he approached. He covered Ron's mouth with his hand and jabbed him between the ribs and hip. The effect was instant and Ron felt a shock through his body as he jerked awake. He tried to yell but his mouth was covered. It was fortunate as some of the words he said were more than unsavoury.

"What was that for Harry."Ron said when Harry removed his hand.

"You need to get up to go to the World cup. Breakfast is ready down stairs and you leave in thirty minutes." Mrs Weasley whispered.

"Thank you Mrs Weasley." Harry said as he searched his trunk for some clothes. He needed to go shopping again as he only had a few clothes left that he purchased recently and his magically resizing wizard wear. Sadly that was not very acceptable for a hike to a portkey in. The Weasley's planned to go school shopping after they returned from the world cup.

Breakfast was rather quiet as everyone still rubbed the sleep from their eyes. The only sound was the light clatter of spoons, knives and forks and Ron devouring all food in a three foot radius.

"Why don't Percy, Bill and Charlie need to wake up early." Ron moaned.

"Because they can apparate on their own. Only Bill, Charlie and I can side along one person and that is not enough. Nevertheless, a nice walk through the country side will be good for you all. It should only take three hours to get to the portkey." Mr Weasley announced cheerfully.

"Three hours, that's ages." Ron complained.

"It's not that far Ron, its like fifteen kilometers max." Harry replied.

"That's the spirit Harry." Mr Weasley said.

"Come on Ron, it will help your fitness for when you trial for the quidditch team this year." Harry encouraged.

"Fine then, but I still don't like it." Ron grumbled.

"Well we should get going then guys. We are meeting the Diggory's about thirty minutes down the track." Mr Weasley informed them

"It's a bummer we can't drive to the portkey to be honest, don't you think Ron." Ginny said, Ron groaned loudly as everyone laughed at his expense.

"That bloody elf, I swear I'll kill it." Ron said under his breath but Harry still heard.

"Dobby is a great elf thank you very much Ron, he is just very devoted to me and my protection." Harry whispered.

A thirty minute trek through the woods and they met Amos and Cedric Diggory. The group now two larger than before, continued on through the woods. A further two hours and twenty five minutes they found themselves on a hill surrounding a worn, rubber boot.

"Quidditch World Cup, here we come." Mr Weasley said as a very uncomfortable feeling overcame Harry. It felt like a fish hook had snagged him in his gut and yanked him away. The large group landed in pile in a small tent at the quidditch world cup final.


	6. Chapter 6 - The World Cup

Harry looked around in awe, he had never been to a magical event like this and he was gaping at it all. In the distance was the biggest stadium Harry had ever seen. It was at least thirty stories tall and they would be at the top box. Around the area were thousands of little tents for the wizards to sleep in.

"They have been portkeying people in since last week, some people have been here for almost five days just to see the game." Mr Weasley explained.

"How many people will be there." Harry asked curiously.

"I was told the official count was two hundred and eighteen thousand, four hundred and fifty three tickets were sold. Come this way, our tents are section B site 324." Mr Weasley said and led them through the camp site, pointing out various important locations such as the information centre for B block.

"Here we are kids." Mr Weasley said dramatically at the small site. It was about twenty square metres and had a small tent that looked like it would three people in it.

"How are we all going to fit in that." Harry asked.

"Just look inside, the other boys will be inside. They arrived about twenty minutes ago to set up." Mr Weasley told them all.

'Merlin I love magic' Harry thought not for the first time as he entered the tent. The inside was closer to an apartment than a tent. There was a large living area with a crackling fire in the middle and various camp chairs and couches thrown haphazardly around the place. To the left was a fully functional kitchen and the right was a bathroom. Three more zip up flaps led to four bedrooms. The first was Mr Weasley's which he had to himself. The second was reserved for the girls, the third held Charlie, Percy and the twins which left the fourth room for Harry Ron and Bill to share.

"This is amazing, where did you get it." Harry asked no one in particular.

"It came with the tickets." Mr Weasley replied. "A friend at the ministry had tickets for his family but sadly they all came down with dragon pox. Fortunately for us, he owed me a favour and lent us the tickets. If you ever meet a Jerome Grant be sure to say thank you."

"What did you help him with Mr Weasley and how did he get the tickets." Hermione asked curiously.

"Oh Jerome works as the head of the international portkey office. He had tickets for setting up portkeys into the world cup. A few years back he had a problem with warming charmed coats his son was selling to muggles during winter. Would have been quite the scandal but I was willing to help him out." Mr Weasley answered.

"Interesting, you must see a lot of odd charmed objects in your line of work Mr Weasley." Harry said

"I got the car from Jeferson Anderson when the muggle military tried to steal the technology to make it invisible. Half my shed is full of confiscated items, just don't tell Molly that." Mr Weasley replied. "Well you kids shouldn't e holed up in here, it's a nice day, go explore or something."

So with the kids being shooed away, Harry, Ron and Hermione left the tent to find something to do. Hermione being Hermione, went into extreme detail of the charms that must be on the tent. A lot of their conversations went along the lines of.

"Of course I have only read about it in theory… I've never seen it in such standard application… Its not an overly complex charm, only OWL level but at that scale…" She appeared to have read about every single charm in the tent. Harry and Ron being the dutiful friends they were just nodded and agreed where appropriate. Neither were very interested in the charm work of the tent when in four hours they would watch the quidditch world cup final.

They met Neville with his grandmother who true to the impression that Ron and Hermione recieved from the boggart, wore an ugly stuffed vulture on her head. Somehow she still managed to look like the most intimidating woman any of them had met, including Mcgonagal.

Seamus and Dean were there and Dean was comparing it all to a football world cup final. Lavender Brown and the Patil twins were present and the golden trio were stuck in a conversation about which player was the best looking. They crossed paths with the twins and Lee Jordan, Suzan Bones with her aunt and Hannah Abbott along with her brother and parents. Harry also caught a glimpse of Cho Chang as she walked past with her group of friends.

Finally it was time to return for an early meal before the game began. They made their way with the crowds to the looming stadium in the distance and slowly up the many stairs to the top box. Unfortunately the climb was disturbed by two very annoying white headed snobs.

"How did you manage to afford these tickets Weasley, sell your house or something. I guess that would get you halfway there." Draco Malfoy taunted.

"Now now Draco, be nice." Lucius Malfoy said to his son, Draco seemed to have missed that the minister of magical britain was just behind the Weasley's.

"Harry Potter, what a pleasure it is to meet you again." Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magical Britain said.

"Good evening Minister, the pleasure is mine." Harry replied smoothly, slipping into some of the lessons Sirius had taught him.

"May I introduce to you Minister Oblansk of Magical Bulgaria. Minister this is Harry Potter, defeater of the Dark Lord of recent." Fudge introduced very slowly. "Minister Oblansk does not have good english." Fudge explained

"It is a pleasure to meet you also Minister Oblansk, may I introduce my friends and somewhat family Arthur Weasley and his children, William, Charles, Percival, Fredrick, George, Ronald and Ginerva and my other close friend Hermione Granger." Harry said in German as he shook the man's hand.

"It is nice to meet you all." Oblansk replied in the same language, nodding slightly to each of them.

"I wish your country luck in the game today." Harry said.

"Thank you, sadly our team only has our one star player, the rest are not very good. I do not expect to win but a win would be nice." Oblansk said.

"It is unfortunate, I hope to meet you again sometime Minister." Harry said, trying to wrap up the conversation."

"And I you Harry Potter, enjoy the game and entertainment . Bulgarian mascots are very easy on the eyes." Oblansk answered and they parted ways to find their seats.

"When did you learn Bulgarian Harry." Hermione asked confused once they had taken their seats.

"I didn't, I learnt German last year." Harry answered.

"If he didn't speak english why would he speak german." Hermione replied.

"Because he most likely attended Durmstrang and german is the common language there." Harry said.

"Why learn german, surely there are more useful languages." Hermione pointed out.

"In the muggle world maybe other languages would be more beneficial but I have become semi fluent in German and French. Any witch or wizard in Europe would speak either of those to or english because those are the common language of the three magical schools. Being a wizard in Europe those are the most useful languages." Harry replied.

"Oh, I myself know a bit of french, spanish and italian from holidays. I don't think I could hold an entire conversation anymore but if I moved there I would pick it up again quickly." Hermione said.

"That's great, looks like the games about to start." Harry replied. Sure enough, Ludo Bagman stood from his seat and walked to a stage like area with a large seat. He pointed his wand to his throat and began to speak.

"Wizards and witches, welcome to the 422nd Quidditch Woorrlld Cuuuup!" He annoumced to a cheering crowd. "And now to introduce the teams, from the Irish side we have in chaser Troy, Mullet and Moran. Beaters Connoly and Quigley, our keeper Ryan and lastly, seeker Aiden Lynch." The irish team flew out in robes of green as their names were called.

It was amazing for Harry to watch the players fly so fast. The irish team showed off a few loops, dives and rolls at speeds that Harry couldn't wait to try. The precision and speed that they showed with the practice quaffle to warm up was amazing.

"And on the Bulgarian side we have Dimitrov, Ivanova and levski in the chaser position. Beaters are Vulchanov and Volkov, Zograf in keeper and last but certainly not least, your favourite seeker, Viktor Kruuum!" The bulgarians wore scarlet robes and the crowd went wild at Krums name.

"Before we begin we have the performances from the Bulgarian and Irish mascots to witness as is accustomed to the finals. Ireland is out first with the standard leprechaun's" Ludo called.

A large, glowing ball of green and gold zoomed into the stadium like a meteorite. They branched off and dashed around the stadium as they sang songs. Suddenly what looked like glitter was falling onto the crowd. Clings and clangs of metal gave it away to be golden galleons, the universal currency of wizards. Harry new better than the people scrambling to collect it all though, leprechaun gold would disappear in a day or two.

"Absolutely amazing just like the 1942 world cup. Now for the newcomers. Bulgaria is attending their first ever world cup final so let's see what they bring to the table." Bagman said over the cheers from the crowd.

A group of fifty women with silver blond hair walked onto the pitch and began to sing and dance. Harry thought they were the most beautiful people he had ever seen. However it seemed to be a forced attraction and rather faked to him. Harry shook his head to shake the funny feelings away and clamped down on his stray thoughts.

Others seemed to be a little less controlled than Harry. Men and women all around the stadium were drooling and staring with glazed eyes. The dancing women seemed to enjoy their reactions and sang louder than before. Harry had to physically restrain Ron from jumping over the railing. Malfoy also seemed to be strongly affected but took the easier path and sprinted down the stair cases to get to them. Eventually they stopped dancing so the game could begin.

"Would you look at that" Bagman announced once the women had left the stadium to change. "It looks like Bulgaria have brought in the beautiful veela to represent their side. With the performances over, lets get flying people. The referee has released the snitch, there goes the bludgers and the quaffle is released. Troy takes the toss, speeding up left side, passes to Mullet, back to Troy and he scores right ring. That's ten to nil for Ireland."

Harry thought it was a rather quick goal and soon understood what Minister Oblansk had meant. Bulgaria's team was fairly average with the exception of Krum. Ireland was flying circles around them literally, one of the chasers had flown a circle around all three opposing chasers causing them to crash into each other. With such a boring game Harry focused on the seekers, tuning into the commentary every now and again.

"Ivanova scores the first goal for Bulgaria taking the score to 120 to 10. What's this, krum has spotted the snitch. Krum and lynch go into a steep dive for the pesky golden ball. Closing in on the ground quick, wow they are going fast. Krum pulls up, it's a feint. Lynch doesn't make it and crashes into the ground. A perfect Wronski Feint by Krum, that's why he's the best ladies and gentlemen."

Harry was awestruck at the move, he had seen it in many seeker tactics books but never seen it executed so perfectly. It was definitely one he would be practicing. The look on Malfoy's face when he realises he was tricked and then that he can't pull up in time only to smash into the ground. It would be brilliant.

"Lynch looks to be okay and is mounting his broom once again. We get the okay from the healers and the game is back in swing. Levski has the quaffle, over to Ivanova, intercept by Mullet. Down the centre line, passes to troy, long pass to Moran, shoots, scores on centre ring 150 to 10, Ireland in the lead."

The game was getting close to Krum being irrelevant Harry realised. Two more goals from Ireland and the game was theirs. Bulgaria had taken another shot on goal but it was weak and blocked away easily.

"Mullet up centre, takes it all the way to the shot line, fakes to Moran and fools the keeper. Open goal and he scores left ring. Looks like Krum is in trouble now and he knows it. Owww." The entire crowd groaned as one as Krum got hit in the face with a bludger. "Bulgaria needs to get the quaffle to call a time out for Krum to get that fixed. Oh no, Lynch dives fast, the snitch just ahead of him. Krum will have to wait as he takes chase. It's anybody's game here. Krum gets the snitch but Mullet scores. Officials call the goal was scored first. Ireland win the 442nd Quidditch World Cup 170 points to 160."

Half the stadium cheered in excitement at the win for the team they supported whilst the other half groaned in disappointment. Harry was slightly disappointed that his first ever professional quidditch game was so one sided. It was still brilliant but he learnt a lot. Soon the trophies were being awarded to the winners and runner ups.

"Can we get a round of applause for our Quidditch World Cup Champions one more time for Troy, Mullet, Moran, Quigley, Connoly, Ryan and Lynch." Bagman announced as each recieved a gold medal and hoisted the golden cup above their heads. "And our runners up, the Bulgarian side Dimitrov, Ivanova, Levski, Volkov, Vulchanov, Zograf and Krum." Each recieved a silver medal and Krums was instantly turned crimson from the blood on his robes.

Lucky for those in the top box, the bulgarian team were directed to meet their Minister after the game. All seven shook their ministers hand and mingled around the box.

"You are a very good player Mr Krum." Harry said in his accented german when the man came around.

"Thank you," Krum replied, he glanced at Harry's forehead and raised an eyebrow. "It is a pleasure to meet you Harry Potter. He slipped back into english.

"The pleasure is mine, it is unfortunate your teammates hold you back from winning. You fly with great skill, I cannot wait to get home to try that feint." Harry said.

"You play seeker too." Krum asked.

"I do for my hogwarts house, I am not as good as you but I do alright. I don't often lose but the opposition tends to score more points against other teams. Our draw is rather strange in the sense that we play each team once and the most points accumulated over the games wins."

"Well if you keep practicing you might get to play me in the next World Cup, England has a poor seeker at the moment." Krum shook Harry's hand again and slipped something into it. "I hope to meet you again sometime." he said before walking off.

"You too."Harry said quietly but he was gone.

"Wow, you got to talk to Viktor Krum." Ron squealed from beside him. "I wish I could have shook his hand, or got his autograph."

"Ron you were right beside me, all you had to do was say hello or ask." Harry said, shaking his head. It was only then he noticed the thing Krum had slipped into his hand.

"No way, Krum gave you the snitch, that's amazing." Ron giggled with excitement.

"I guess he did, it's no use anyway though. Snitches have a flesh memory so once he's touched it it will always drift towards him." Harry said.

"Alright boys, we need to head back to the tent. It's already eight and we want to get back before the irish go crazy." Mr Weasley said. The group of redheads plus Harry and Hermione began to make their way down the many flights of stairs to the bottom of the stadium. It took them all thirty minutes to get past the partying Irish supporters to their tent.

"Now I'm going to bed and you all should too. We need to be up early to get the portkey back, It leaves at eight in the morning." Mr Weasley said and left to his room in the tent.

"Well me and Charlie are off to join the Irish, you young kids should go to bed." Bill said as he and the dragon tamer left the tent.

"Me and Gred need to find Ludo Bagman, he owes us a hefty sum of galleons from our bet. We might almost have half with this Gred." Fred said as the twins also left the tent.

"I think I might go join the party too, not every day something like this happens." Ron decided.

"Ron no, you aren't even of age and Mr Weasley said we should go to bed." Hermione said.

"Hermione is right Ron, you're only fourteen so nobody's going to give you anything. On the other hand, Fred and George have a case of Butterbeer in their bags and Percy is already asleep. Why not have a celebration of our own." Harry suggested.

"Harry, we can't just drink their butterbeer, that's stealing and an entire case is expensive." Hermione said.

"We won't steal it, I'll buy it off them at retail price. Two sickles a bottle that's a galleon and seven sickles. Seven sickles profit for them, they are trying to make money any way so they won't mind." Harry replied as he grabbed the case of twelve bottles, Handing one each to Ron, Hermione and Ginny, keeping one for himself.

"To Ireland" Harry toasted.

"To Ireland" the other three called and took a long sio from the drink.

The four of them sat out the front of the tent watching all the celebrations while they talked and drank. The Irish were really going all out, they had fireworks and leprechaun gold flying everywhere. Music was blasting all around and the yells and cheers of everyone set an atmosphere that Harry found amazing. Everyone from all nations were celebrating and congratulating Ireland on their victory. There were no fights or riots of people upset about losing, just happiness for the winning side. Anyone who said quidditch was just a game clearly had not seen this.

At nine thirty that last drop of butter beer was gone. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were slightly wobbly on their feet after consuming so much of the drink at their age. Harry however was not affected in the slightest and was just fine. They all made it to bed and were asleep almost immediately. After all they had been up since almost five in the morning.

~•~

"Harry, Ron, get up." Bill said from the door. Harry groggily sat up but Ron slept on.

"What is it Bill." Harry asked.

"Death eaters are muggle baiting after drinking too much. They've started burning all the tents and a fire is spreading." Bill answered quickly.

"Shit, Ron get up." Harry jabbed him between his ribs and hip and the redhead jerked awake.

"What was that for." Ron moaned at Harry.

"We've got to go, there's a fire spreading across the camp grounds" Harry replied as he quickly through on a shirt and began to tie his shoelaces.

"Hurry, get to the forest on the other side of the camp. That's where you will be safe, I need to go help stop this." Bill said and dashed out the door. Harry stuffed all his things in his bag and slung it over his shoulder before leaving the room.

"Harry, what's going on, Charlie just told us we needed to leave for the forest and ran out." Hermione asked him.

"Drunk old death eaters are muggle baiting on the far side of the camp away from the forest. They set fire to some tents and its spreading across the camp. We need to get to the forest, that's the line the ministry is holding to stop the fire." Harry answered.

"What's muggle baiting." Hermione asked.

"Dad said they did it in the last war, death eaters raid muggle towns and torment the muggles with magic. They don't kill anyone but make sure there are lots of witnesses. It makes it difficult for the Ministry as they need to clean it up. It's like using muggles to bait away the ministry to attack a wizarding place somewhere else." Ginny explained.

"Finally Ron, lets go." Harry said when Ron entered the room. "If we get separated just keep heading for the forest and don't look back." Harry told them as they ran towards the tree line.

The campsite was a mess, tents were on fire and the flames were spreading fast. Behind them a group of muggles were floating in the air and writhing in pain. It made Harry sick to see. Men in black robes with white skull masks walked through the camp, setting fire to everything in site and causing havoc.

A vendor's stand, covered in flames exploded ahead of them, covering the path way. Death eaters were behind them and moving towards them.

"What are we going to do, they're going to kill us." Ron yelled.

"Aguamenti" Harry said pointing his wand at the flames to their left. The water put them out and made a path to get around the burning carts.

They continued running down the new path towards the trees. They weaved between the flaming patches on the ground and Harry put out those in their way to clear a path. They stuck together and quickly made their way to the safety of the trees.

A thick wooden support beam from the information stand creaked and feel on top of the group. Ron, Hermione and Ginny dived forward and just avoided it. Harry was at the back of the group and stopped to jump backwards.

"Harry." Ginny yelled.

"Don't worry, I'll go around it. Keep running for the tree line." Harry shouted back over the roaring flames.

He turned right and cast the water conjuring charm to put out the flames. His path was still blocked to get to the trees so he kept moving along to the right. Over another set of tents and the path was only blocked by one thing. A death eater with a girl pinned beneath him. The girl looked no older than seventeen and was screaming and thrashing to try and escape the man's hold.

"Hold still bitch, this will hurt less if you do." The man grunted. She screamed louder.

"Stupify." Harry yelled, the red jet of magic streaked across the camp towards the death eater. He looked up and dodged it just in time.

"Piss off little boy, you don't know what you're doing." The death eater said, what scared Harry the most was he recognised the voice from somewhere but couldn't place it.

"Stupify." Harry cast in answer. The death eater simply shielded and laughed.

"Reducto." The death eater cast in return. Harry's shield was up by instinct from his duels with Sirius. Harry's mind shifted and he fell into a stance with ease. All other sounds drifted away and his sole focus was on the creature in front of him.

"Bombarda." Harry cast at the mans shoulder. He stepped to the left to avoid it. "Bombarda, Bombarda, Bombarda." Barry cast always at his right shoulder. Every time the death eater simply stepped to the left and avoided it, laughing all the way at Harry's 'poor aim'

"You will need to do better than that boy. Confringo." The explosion hex flew towards Harry and exploded behind him when he dodged it.

"Reducto, Expulso, Expelliarmus." Harry cast in quick concession. Now that the death eater was away from the girl Harry could cast whatever he wanted.

"Protego." The death eater shielded and followed with another explosion hex and a stunner.

"Diffindo, Langlock, Petrificus Totalus." Harry cast, the last non verbally. It was one of the only ones he could cast like that. The death eater shielded again and tried to disarm Harry.

Harry began to banish flaming chunks of tent at the death eater and one clipped him on the shoulder. The man was thrown away and his wand lost from his hand.

"Come on, we need to get out of here." Harry said as he helped the girl up.

She stumbled to her feet and lent heavily on Harry's shoulder. Her ankle was twisted and she couldn't run properly.

"Crucio." Harry heard from behind him. He dropped to the ground and the curse sailed over head. The girl landed on top of him and he was stuck.

"Lacero." he cast towards the death eater." The stronger cutting curse hit him in the throat and the death eater was no more.

"Come on, we need to get out of here." Harry said, helping the girl to her feet once again.

They started to limp towards the forest slowly, it was only another five hundred metres but it was slow going. Harry looked up and his heart sunk. The dark mark was looming over the forest, that mark only appeared when someone was killed. The sound of apparition cracks fillies the area as the death eaters left and ministry officials went to investigate the mark. The two slowly limped over to the medical tent that was set up and found the nearest healer.

"I think she has a broken ankle and some small cuts and bruises. She might need a mind healer two, they were going to do some terrible things to her before… they left." Harry said, his interference did not need to be known.

"Okay, we will take it from here. Healer Montgomery, come check this young man over for any injuries." The healer said.

Said healer waved his wand over Harry a few times and deemed him healthy and just needed a good rest. It was three in the morning after all. Harry quickly left the tent and found a tree somewhere to sit down. Only now had what he had done came into his mind. He had killed someone, cut their throat open and killed them. He threw up next to him and emptied everything in his stomach.

"It was justified" he told himself, "The things that person was going to do to her meant he deserved it." Harry remembered the emotions in his head when he did it, a stunner would have been fine but he was angry. This man had tried to rape this poor girl and when Harry edcaped he cast an unforgivable curse at them. Harry was so furious that they could do something like that so casually.

"The unforgivables are life in azkaban, a fate worse than death. That's what Sirius said." Harry mumbled to himself. But no matter how he looked at it Harry had killed a person. Harry was no better than Voldemort. He threw up again at the thought.

"Voldemort, he was still out there and had nearly returned twice." Harry remembered. "I can't stop him every time he tries and he will come back. And when he does there will be a war where more people will die. This is why I need to train, because if he comes back I will be his first target, he won't leave me be until he is gone for good."

It had taken Harry along time for him to come to this decision. Nobody, not even Sirius knew that Harry had decided this. Harry knew that Dumbledore would not defeat Voldemort. The ministry would not defeat him, nobody would defeat him for good. The only way Harry could make it to the end with his family and friends alive was if he finished Tom himself.

Of course that was quite the dream for a fourteen year old kid and Tom would have fifty years of knowledge and experience up his sleeve. That is why Harry was no so dedicated to his studies. He needed to learn as much as he could before Tom came back. Because then, time would be up and war would begin.

~•~

"Harry." Hermione called to him from a few meters away.

"Hermione, are you okay." Harry called back, getting up to go over to her.

"It was horrible, after we made it to the forest we just kept running. We didn't know how far in we needed to go so we kept going. Then someone ahead of us cast some spell and that mark was above us in the sky. Ministry people apparated all around us and we all got hit by a bunch of stunners. They found Ron's wand that he couldn't find and it turns out the person stole it and used it to cast the mark. The ministry started accusing us of doing it and were about to arrest Ron when Mr Weasley showed up and stopped them. It was all so scary and I was so worried. What happened to you after we got separated." Hermione said at a million words a minute.

"I moved across until there was an open path to move down. I found a girl who was injured and helped her get back to the trees. Where is everyone else." Harry asked.

"Oh, they are all back over by medical tent seven. It's about fifty metres that way." She pointed to where she had come from. "We should head back, I was sent out to check the other tents for you."

The two found their way back to medical tent seven where all the Weasley's were waiting. They all took the first portkey out of the area and Mr Weasley, Bill and Charlie side along apparated them all back one by one.

~•~

(Medical Tent Six)

"My baby are you okay." An elder woman with silver blond hair called across the tent as she raced to her daughter.

"Yes maman, I am okay." the young girl replied.

"What happened, I am so glad you are safe." the elder woman, the girls mother asked.

"Eet was horrible. Zee man, he cursed my ankle and eet broke. He waz going to do horrible zings to me, but zen zat boy, he saved me." The girl said.

"What happened, what boy." The mother asked worriedly. When your daughter speaks about horrible things happening to her anyone would be worried.

"I did not get his name, all I remember eez zee eyes. Beautiful glowing green eyes, he saved me and zen he left. He took me here and zen left wizout asking for a zing in return."

"And he was not affected by you, he did this and left without giving a name or anything." The mother asked.

"Non, nozing, he waz not fazed by me at all. His arm waz around me zee entire way back and he did not do a zing he shouldnt ave."

For the first time ever, this girl was caught thinking about a boy. No boy had ever affected her like this before. But him, he was different and she knew it. If only she knew who he was.

A/N I like the idea of Mr Weasley following a rule I once saw somewhere "Never say you're welcome, always say I know you'd do the same for me. It makes people feel obliged to repay you." He is just a little dude in the background that helps the big players out of trouble and racks up favours. I mean he works for muggle artifacts office. He must help tonnes of purebloods out that screw up and need help to avoid legal problems with illegal enchanted objects. I want to make him a minor character that hides behind his gentle and poor facade, adding up all the favours people owe him to get what he wants.


	7. Chapter 7 - Summer of Nightmares

The Weasley family plus Harry and Hermione arrived back at the burrow in the late hours of the morning. They entered the house to see a terrified Molly Weasley sitting at the kitchen table.

"Your back!" She yelled, tears in her eyes when the door swung open.

"It's okay Molly, we're all safe and sound." Mr Weasley comforted her.

"I have been a bit stressed since the prophet came out this morning. I've been cooking ever since so breakfast or lunch or brunch, whatever you call it is ready. Just get inside and eat."

True to her word Mrs Weasley had cooked up a feast of every breakfast food imaginable along with several cakes, muffins, biscuits and scones. They would have left overs for weeks with all that she had cooked. The food was eaten until they all needed to loosen their pants slightly to hold their full stomachs. Everyone was so tired and only wanted to go to sleep. Unfortunately for Mr Weasley, he needed to go back to the ministry and Percy followed.

Ron being Ron, feel asleep the moment his head hit his pillow but Harry didn't mind. His summer had turned bad very quickly with the quidditch world cup. Harry tried his best to get a bit of sleep but images of that man falling over, dead by Harry's hand painted his mind. Nightmares of a family who now had no father or a missing son. His deeds were not theirs and they would suffer for it. When Harry's exhaustion finally over took him his sleep was not peaceful in any way.

~•~

A short fat man with pale skin and balding hair knelt before a large chair by the burning fire. A thick black snake curled around the chair, hissing at the fat man and the thing in the chair. The thing in the chair was strange. It looked like a small child of around two but its head, arms and legs were that of a grown man. Its skin was pale and flaking whilst its head was bald and reptilian like with slits for nostrils and crimson red eyes with vertical pupils. The whites of a humans eyes were replaced with the darkest of blacks. It was a truly horrifying abomination of nature.

"My lord you must drink now, the potion will only sustain you if you drink it." The fat man stuttered from his place at the things feet.

"Shut up Peter, give it to me and go milk nagani." The thing snapped.

"Y-yes my lord." The fat man, Peter, stuttered again in reply. The snake hissed dangerously at him and he whimpered in fear.

"How goes our preparations for my return."

"All is going to plan, Potter will not know what hit him by the end."

"Good, good. Soon my pet." the thing said as he stroked the snake. "I shall return soon."

~•~

Harry woke with a start, sweat ran from his face and his bed sheets looked like he had done something Dudley stopped doing only a few years ago. What was that about, what did it mean. Harry's scar throbbed with pain he had not felt for two years and he didn't like it at all.

"Sirius should know, he might be able to tell me what it was about." Harry decided. Rummaging in his trunk for the mirror he had recieved he flipped it open and called his godfather's name.

"Harry, whats up, what time is it over there. Its eleven O'clock in cuba so you must be like five in the morning." Sirius said.

"Yeah it's still early, I just needed to speak with you about something." Harry replied.

"Well speak away, I'm all ears" Sirius offered.

"I just woke up from a dream, Wormtail was with Voldemort in some house and they talked about his return. I don't know all the details but it said something about me not knowing what hit me and a plan being in place. Voldemort has a weak body of a weird and creepy child and he's living off a potion made by Wormtail. I think it has snake venom because he was told to milk a snake." Harry recited what he remembered

"Well this is disturbing, is there anything else." Sirius asked.

"Yeah, I woke up sweating heaps and my scar hurt." Harry added.

"I'm sure it was just a bad dream but let me know if it keeps happening and if anything changes okay pup." Sirius said.

"There is something else though that's been on my mind." Harry said

"What is it pup." Sirius asked

"In the first war, did you ever kill someone."

"No I didn't, what brought this on Harry. I might have been a bully but I would never kill someone." Sirius said.

"We went to the quidditch world cup as you know." Harry began.

"Yes I heard, how was that by the way."

"The game was great if a bit one sided. Ireland won but Krum got the snitch. After the game that night, during all the parties some death eaters pulled out their robes and masks and started fires and were muggle baiting the muggles nearby. We all ran towards the forest but I got separated from the others. I went around the block and kept going towards the forest but I ran into a death eater and a girl. Sirius he was going to do horrible things to her, I knew it. We dueled each other because I couldn't just leave and I won. I caught him with some banished debris and he was thrown into the wreckage. But when I went to help the girl up to carry on towards the forest he cast the torture curse at us. I could have just stunned him Sirius but I was so angry, I cast Lacero and I killed him, I'm a monster Sirius, a murderer." Harry

"No you are not Harry, if a bear terrorises a village and kills its people it is not murder to kill the bear when it attacks you. You are different from them because of why you did it. The death eaters killed and tortured because they found it fun and did so for pleasure. You defended yourself and this girl from a monster who tried to rape, torture and kill her. You are not a monster Harry, you are a hero. It is not the act of killing that is so wrong Harry, it is why someone does it. To protect yourself and others is not wrong. To eliminate a threat to your beliefs and your aims is wrong. Do you understand me Harry."

"Okay, I get it, snuffles," Harry teased at the name "Thanks for talking to me, I don't know if I can get back to sleep but I can try."

"You know, you being the heir of the marauders need to make a bang with your coming into your inheritance of practical joke knowledge." Sirius said.

"I think the twins have taken up the place of prank masters now. I wonder if they found your map somehow. They seem to know where everyone is." Harry informed Sirius.

"Great, steal it back, prank the school with the tag of marauders heir and challenge them too a prank war. In anyway it will take your mind off these dreams to plan it. How goes the transformation." Sirius asked. In answer Harry effortlessly changed his left forearm and right fingers into that to match a white tigers paws. Slowly the fur spread to cover to the forearm of the right hand but bone and muscle structure had not changed. Slow again the muscles and bones shifted to leave two identical tiger paws instead of hands.

"Well done, both front paws in a two months is quite impressive. Of course we were about the same place but we did practice more and were set back by our poor meditation. I'm proud of you Harry. So when will you tell me exactly what your form is." Sirius asked.

"When I finish it completely, it will probably take me longer than you guys because I won't put all my time and effort into it. I'm not going to ignore my work to finish it. I plan to get it done by the middle of fifth year or closer to the end. I think I'll try and get that extra wink of sleep, bye Sirius."

"See ya pup, sleep good." Sirius replied before the connection broke.

Harry slept through until lunch peacefully. His mind and body really were exhausted and talking to Sirius had helped five him some peace of mind. It wasn't as if Harry suddenly did not care about what he had done but it didn't affect him as much as it did before.

"Good morning sleepy head, you've been asleep for awhile." Mrs Weasley greeted him when he fi alley made an appearance.

"I didn't sleep all to well to begin with. The world cup really shook me up a bit." Harry replied.

"It shook us all up Harry, the last war was the most terrifying thing I have ever witnessed and we all lost a lot of family and friends to it. To see those people and that mark brought up a lot of bad memories in all of us." Mrs Wealsleu said gloomily.

"Where is everyone." Harry asked.

"They are all by the pond. Would you like something to eat." She asked.

~•~

Harry's summer only got worse from there. He had a few good nights of sleep over the next two weeks but most were just simply uneasy and Harry didn't get any decent rest at all. He would sleep for eight tk nine hours but when he woke he felt like he didn't sleep at all. And the nightmares didn't stop either. He had tried to ignore them and they mostly repeated or were very similar. That is until last night.

"Peter, who is here, go check for intruders." the voice Harry recognised as Voldemort said from his chair.

"Y-yes my lord." Peter stuttered in fear. The vision stayed with Voldemort and all that could be heard was a squeal of fear and a broken conversation between Peter and a hoarse voice that sounded like it hadn't been used for years.

"My Lord, I bring good news." Peter said from his place on the floor at Voldemort's chair.

"What is it Peter, who was here." Voldemort hissed.

"I have returned to you my lord, I was always faithful and sought you out as soon as I was free. For I knew that you had secured your rightful place with the living." The owner of the hoarse voice said as he entered the room and bowed low before Voldemort. The man was average height with short brown hair, hazel eyes and a sadistic grin planted on his face. Every so often his tongue would flicker like a snake making him look truly crazy.

"Your loyalty shall be rewarded, you will help nicely with our plan my friend. Finally I have more competent help than this pitiful excuse. Peter, inform our new friend here of our plans. I think he will be of great use to us." Voldemort smiled wickedly.

Harry's scar was searing in pain and his sheets dripping in sweat after that nightmare. Harry didn't know what it was that caused these but he wanted them to stop. They were painful to endure both physically and mentally and Harry just knew they were slightly more than creations of his imagination. Of course if wishes were fishes we would all live in the sea.

~•~

Diagon Alley, the first magical place Harry had ever visited. It was the perfect image of a magical shopping district and where Harry had learnt so much, including the truth of his parents' deaths and his fame. And today Harry would be visiting again.

"Come on boys, we need to Harry or else we will get stuck in the crowds" Molly Weasley called.

"Mum, have you seen my chudley shirt." The voice of Ron yelled back down the stairs.

"Bottom draw, left hand side. I put it there this morning." Mrs Weasley replied.

"Thanks Mum." Ron said when he entered the living room. Shortly after they were joined by Ginny and they were ready to go.

"Alright, we will be taking the floo to the Leaky Cauldron. Fred, you're the eldest and will go first and I will be last." Mrs Wealsy told them all.

"Don't get lost again Harry" Ron teased.

"Ha ha, very funny." Harry replied sarcastically.

"Harry dear, you're up next, remember to say the name clearly." Mrs Weasley said slowly.

Harry stepped into the fire and threw down the powder as he called, very clearly "Diagon Alley." He was whisked away in a swirl of green flames. Harry kept his elbows in and his eyes closed as he listened to the flames. The sound roared louder and Harry walked forward. The flames stopped and he made it out of the fire at the other end gracefully without stumbling at all.

"How did you do that." Fred asked when Harry arrived so perfectly.

"It's a trade secret of the pureblood elite, nothing people like you would know." Harry mocked with his nose turned up, a look of disgust at Fred's words on his face.

"Very funny Harry, how'd you do it." George asked.

"You got to listen to the flames. The flare louder when you arrive to tell you to get out. If you don't it will eject you out. Apparently it's to avoid someone landing on top of someone else." Harry explained.

"Good to know, it is rather embarrassing when you fall on your face." Ron said who arrived in time for Harry's explanation.

"Everyone's made it here safe." Mrs Weasley asked when she arrived, giving a quick headcount. "Brilliant, lets go."

The group made their way through the alley, stopping at all the shops on the way. They topped up on potion supplies, text books, parchment, ink and quills, herbology equipment and school robes.

They also all got dress robes that were on the school supplies list. Harry decided to open an account with Madam Malkins so he could order any robes he might need during school. He didn't want to buy expensive robes with all the Weasley's with him while they purchased the cheapest they could find.

"Is that everything we need." Mrs Weasley asked when they finished in the robe shop.

"Can we go to muggle London, all my other clothes are too small now and I need some new ones." Harry asked.

"Does anybody else need anything in muggle London." Mrs Weasley asked the group.

"Nah, I don't need any more clothes." Ron said,Fred and George nodding along.

"There is a book store I wanted to visit on the muggle side." Hermione said.

"I would like a few jerseys for at Hogwarts and some jeans. All my warm clothes are getting tight. I have grown quite a bit you know mum, I need some things." Ginny said, hoping her mother would understand.

"I think the three of us are more than capable Mrs Weasley. We can go to the muggle side and floo back to the burrow when we are done. Saves us dragging everyone around and we might take a while. I don't think Ginny needs all her brothers with her while she is shopping." Harry said, his horrible conversations with Sirius had eventually taught him something and he knew what Ginny needed.

"Oh yes but I'm not sure, I don't want anything to happen, you will be all by yourself." Mrs Weasley said.

"We will be fine Mrs Weasley, my luck struck early and my need for wild adventures has been satisfied at the world cup for this year. Besides, what could possibly go wrong, we can get lunch in London and be back before two." Harry reasoned.

"Okay, but if anything happens you are to come straight home and you will be telling me." Mrs Weasley warned.

"Brilliant, Hermione, Ginny, lets go." Harry said and the three teenagers left the pub they were in.

"So where to first Harry." Ginny asked.

"The clothes shops for me, there might be something you like as well in there too." Harry replied. The three walked through London until they stood outside a rather high end muggle clothing store.

"Harry, are you sure you want to go in there. It's all labels and they are quite expensive." Hermione warned.

"I know but it is better quality, if there is anything that catches your eye let me know. This is already going to be expensive because I need to completely restock." Harry said.

"Alright then let's go." Ginny said excited.

Harry walked through the shop and grabbed multiple pairs of jeans, trousers and shorts from the racks. He then moved through to find various T-shirts and dress shirts that he would need. He grabbed a few hoodies and jackets and many pairs of socks. For shoes he grabbed some black polished dress shoes to match his robes and two pairs of sneakers, one in black and grey for school and some blue and white ones for when he wasn't in school robes.

"Man you really are splashing out on clothes Harry, are you sure you can afford all of this." Hermione asked.

"The Potter trust fund for me wouldn't support me buying all of this because it wasn't meant to be for me to buy all my clothes that I need. It would usually be for my personal purchases like some quidditch gear or things in Hogsmeade. However I have recently been appointed heir to the house of Black by my godfather and his trust fund for me is far more… accommodating to these purchases. So if anything catches your eye, pick it out and we can have a look." Harry said.

"Oh, so why are you spending it all here and not in diagon." Hermione asked.

"Could you imagine what Ron would say if I got acromantula silk robes and dragon hide boots. He would go mental with jealousy. That's why I set up the owl order account with Madam Malkin. I can buy them later and Ron won't know anything. It's not that I don't want to share my wealth but Ron would definitely take it the wrong way. He is a little bit touchy with money." Harry replied.

"I know what you mean, we can go back to diagon to get some robes for you if you want" Hermione offered.

"Nah, better give Hedwig something to do or she will get mad at me." Harry said.

"Harry, can we get some under things from here. You have no idea how much better quality muggle underwear is compared to the horrid things wizards have. It's either nannies knickers or a piece of string tied in a bow." Ginny asked.

"Sure thing, That's all I have left to grab." Harry said. They made their way across the store and Ginny picked out what she wanted while Harry grabbed his own underwear.

"Well that's me done." Harry said after paying the large sum to the cashier. "What do you guys need." Harry asked.

"Lunch." Ginny answered.

"True, Hermione you're the expert on muggle London, where should we eat." Harry asked.

"I think there is a pizza place just down the road from here." She said.

"Oh, I've always wanted to try pizza. It always looked so good. Let's go there." Harry agreed with the choice and they soon found themselves sitting in the small pizza parlor with a large pepperoni pizza to share between them and a glass of coke each.

"This is delicious, why doesn't Hogwarts have this." Ginny asked.

"Because the Hogwarts menu hasn't changed in a thousand years. We do you think there is pumpkin juice, water or tea. Anything tasty has came to popularity later on." Hermione said.

"I should talk to Dobby." Harry said. "He helps cook for Hogwarts and could probably get some pizza sent up."

"House elves work at Hogwarts." Hermione asked, a large frown forming on her face.

"Yeah they do, Hogwarts has always taken in homeless elves that need work. None of them are bound to the school or anything but they can feed off the ambient magic in the castle." Harry said.

"Do they get paid, and sick leave and days off." Hermione asked.

"You would have to ask them but I don't think so, not galleons anyway." Harry thought aloud.

"It's slave labour." Hermione decided.

"Lets go to that book shop." Harry decided, anything to stop Hermione going on a tirade about something pointless.

The bookshop was boring and Hermione quickly found her few books she planned on getting and many she didn't. Ginny had found everything she needed before lunch so they set off to the leaky cauldron to go back to the burrow. It was a good day for Harry and his horrible past few weeks were finally turning around it seemed. Except two days later his nightmares struck again.

~•~

"My Lord, I have found another of your followers who will help us in our cause." The new man said to Voldemort's feet. Harry didn't know his name so he dubbed him Mr Crazy.

"Who have you found that will join me. Have more of my faithful escaped death." Voldemort asked.

"No my lord, I have found an old follower who has sworn to help us once more." Mr Crazy said.

"One who claimed imperius." Voldemort questioned.

"See for yourself my lord." Mr Crazy said and left the room, five seconds later he pushed a man through the door that quickly began to grovel at Voldemort's feet. Only this man Harry knew.

"My lord, it is an honor for me to be able to assist you in your return. I have always remained faithful and have always been looking for the signs." Lucius Malfoy pleaded from the ground.

"Lucius, there have been many signs and it has taken you far too long to follow them. Peter managed to find me first. You claimed imperius and denounced your support of my cause. I cannot allow that to go unpunished. crucio." Voldemort held the curse for ten seconds, taking pleasure in the man's screams.

"P-please my lord, I only did so that I could help you return. I would be of no use to you in Azkaban. I only wished to serve you the best way I knew how to." Lucius begged.

"crucio, crucio" Voldemort tortured the man some more.

"You will prove your loyalty when the time comes Lucius. Until that time you will not be forgiven."

Harry's body ached with pain upon awakening from this particular nightmare. It sickened Harry to the core the pleasure Voldemort took in the pain of others. It was the signs of a true monster and Harry understood what Sirius meant now. Voldemort and the death eaters killed and tortured because they enjoyed it, the fact that it made Harry so sick is what helped strengthen his resolve that he was not a monster.

~•~

Luckily for Harry that was the last of the worst nightmares that summer. All though his sleeping did not improve at all. He continued to work on his animagus transformation and succeeded in getting both hands and forearms complete perfectly. He did find an escape to his nightmares but it was not good. His body could rest while meditating but his mind could not. After waking up in a cold sweat Harry would meditated the rest of the night to rest his body. It kept his nightmares away and let him rest but he was still mentally exhausted every day. Hopefully his sleep would improve at Hogwarts or else he had nothing. That stupid basilisk had ruined dreamless sleep potions for him.

Harry's only escape was that he could sleep better during the day than at night. All though an afternoon nap every day would not be a suitable solution as he had classes at Hogwarts it gave him the escape he needed to rest his mind for a few hours. Flying also worked as an escape for him but then his body was tired and it was a vicious cycle. He could still get a little bit of proper sleep in the early hours of the morning if he didn't have nightmares so his sleeping patterns changed. By the last week of Holidays his solution came in a two part sleep each night. Resting his body until the early hours of morning through meditation and then sleeping until around ten o'clock. It was not the best for him but it was the only way to get the rest he needed.

Mrs Weasley had of course noticed his excess sleeping which had changed from the beginning of summer and was naturally concerned. But as long as Harry wasn't the last up it wasn't a matter of concern to sleep in during the summer. Harry new she wanted to ask why he slept in all of a sudden but he was glad she didn't. He didn't need Hermione to start asking questions because she would never quit.


	8. Chapter 8 - Returning to Hogwarts

The platform nine and three quarters at the magical side of kings cross station was packed. Children and parents alike were rushing around to get onto the scarlet train that would take them to Hogwarts. The Weasley family kept up the tradition and was running late, only just making the train on time.

Harry, Hermione and Ron dragged their things to a compartment on the third carriage and stowed their luggage. Ginny went to meet her own friends and Fred and George left to cause mayhem for any and all first years. Ron played a game of chess by himself somehow, Hermione started to reread her transfiguration textbook and Harry thought about all the weird things people had been giving him about something at Hogwarts.

It hadn't been obvious at first but everyone seemed to find the need to remind them how much fun Hogwarts was going to be. Mr Weasley had constantly said that we should try and make new friends this year. Charlie had commented before they left that they might see him at Hogwarts at some point before christmas. Percy had been complaining about the stress on Barty Crouch because of Hogwarts. Ludo Bagman said something about a very entertaining year this year when they met him in diagon, he left quickly when he saw the twins though. Even the owner of quality quidditch seemed to be in on it, mentioning that they might be too busy at Hogwarts for quidditch this year.

Hermione passed it off as a busy year for work and Ron was too shocked about anything being more important than quidditch but Harry thought something was up. There was always something ridiculous and dangerous at Hogwarts so he guessed the world cup wasn't going to stop that.

"Hey Harry, Ron, Hermione." Neville said from the compartment door.

"Hey Neville, how was your summer." Harry asked.

"It was alright, Gran finally let me buy some plants to put in our greenhouses to care for. She always said they were a waste of money but I finally convinced her that as the heir to the house of Longbottom I would need to learn about what is a waste and that I can sell their products to make money for my house and learn about business. The only problem is she has now started me on lessons about everything to do with being a head of house." Nevilled said as the door opened again.

"Longbottom, a head of house, what has the world come too." Malfoy sneered from the doorway.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy there Malfoy, to know that Neville is a far higher rank than you. After all the Longbottoms are an Ancient and Noble house. The Malfoy's are only rich foreigners with a temporary set on the Wizengamot and a permanent one kissing dark lords feet and ministers arses." Harry retorted.

"Shut up Potter, I will be head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black and the magical house of Malfoy. That out ranks both Longbottom and you." Malfoy sneered at them.

"I do not see the Black heir ring on your finger, without it you cannot claim to be the heir." Harry replied.

"The Black heir ring is in the vault which will be given to my first born son after I turn seventeen and claim the vaults as is my birthright."

"Believe what you want but the general rule is no heir ring, no heir. Now if you would kindly leave the compartment, your presence is not needed by your superiors Mr Malfoy." Harry said.

"My father will here about this, the house of Black will end house Potter and Longbottom when the time comes." Malfoy turned with a swish of his robes and left the compartment, Crabbe and Goyal on his heels.

"I wonder if Snape gives all the Slytherins lessons in cloak swishing or just Malfoy." Harry asked the compartment causing them to burst into laughter.

The rest of the train ride turned rather quiet with the raging thunderstorm that could be seen booming in the distance. Still they read books and played chess. Just after the lunch lady came around it started raining and by the time they reached Hogwarts it was a full blown Lightning storm.

"Firs' years o'er here, come on firs' years o'er here." The familiar voice of Hagrid boomed across the platform. The four made their way to the carriages bit something stopped Harry when they got to them.

"What is it Harry." Hermione asked.

"The carriages, what's pulling them." Harry said.

"What are you talking about, they pull themselves like always." Hermione replied.

"No, there are two black horse things with wings, it's like a bat, horse mix." Harry said.

"They're called thestrals, only some people can see them and others can't. I've always been able to see them." Neville supplied.

"I guess I need to look up thestrals in the library, or better yet I can ask Hagrid." Harry said to himself as he got on the carriage.

Fortunately they were charmed to repel the rain so the ride was dry after a few charms. It was slow going in the thick mud that the track had become. Lightning flashed ominously in the distance, making people jump every time it struck.

"Those poor first years, riding the lake like this." Hermione said.

"I guess it will be a very memorable first day then." Harry joked.

"They must be freezing, and what if someone falls in." Hermione said, concern written on her face.

"I am sure they have sticking charms and weather repellent charms on the boats. It's not like they're ordinary to begin with, they move by themselves." Harry reminded her.

"I suppose." She mumbled and sat quietly for the rest of the journey.

They arrived at the entrance and hurried inside to avoid the rain. It was no use of course and they got soaked again. Peeves was ever helpful and started throwing water balloons at people. When he was told off by Mcgonagall his defense was "They're already wet, what's a few more drops." As he threw one right at her before fleeing as fast as possible.

They made their way to the gryffindor table and found seats near the middle near the other fourth years. Dean began to explain all about the muggle water park he visited in Australia while they waited for everyone to file in.

Eventually the first years came in and a small boy that looked incredibly like Colin Creevy wore Hagrid's coat that trailed behind him like a long cape. The first years were sorted and the boy, Dennis Creevy joined Gryffindor house. Finally Dumbledore stood and announced the beginning of the feast.

Chatter and laughter erupted along the tables as everyone dug in to enjoy the brilliant food Hogwarts had to offer. Sadly there was no pizza and only pumpkin juice but that could be changed another day.

"Where is the defense Professor. Lupin is gone but there's no one new." Hermione said to the table.

"Maybe they couldn't get one." Ron suggested.

"Or Dumbledore could be teaching, he did defeat Grindelwald after all." Dean offered.

"I suppose we will have to wait. It will be announced soon." Harry said. Sure enough, ten minutes later dessert cleared and Dumbledore stood again.

"Now that we are all fed and watered I have a few announcements and reminders to give. Firstly the forbidden forest is just that, forbidden to all students. Mr Filch has asked me to remind you of the list of banned items that can be found on his office door. Magic is not allowed in the corridors between classes. We have yet another staff change this year but he appears to be mis-"

Thunder boomed loudly as lightning streaked across the enchanted roof. A second streak of red light hit the ceiling and it went quiet once more. Everyone turned to see that a man was at the door and had cast the spell. The man was of average height with long brown hair that fell from his head like a lion's mane. His face was scarred heavily with a piece of his nose missing. His left eye was a beady brown colour while the right was an electric blue glass eye that moved of its own accord. As he walked up the hall to the staff table a dull thud could be heard with every other step.

"Ah, here he is, Master Auror Alastor Moody, your new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts." Dumbledore announced to a smattering of applause from various students. Most were too shocked about his entrance than anything else and others that such a well known man was teaching.

"Well just two more announcements to be made, firstly the quidditch cup is cancelled and-."

"WHAT!" Various students yelled, interrupting Dumbledore's announcements. Dumbledore let them yell and protest for a minute before calling for silence.

"Ah drama, always amusing. If you had let me finished, the quidditch cup has been canceled for the year to make way for something else. This year, for the first time in over three hundred years, Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Tournament. For those of you unaware, the tournament involves three champions, one from the three major schools of Europe. Each champion will compete in a series of three task, the winner will receive the Triwizard cup, one thousand galleons and eternal fame and glory." Dumbledore informed the assembled students. Whispers of excitement broke out across the hall with the prospect of the tournament and who would enter.

"However due to the seriousness of the tournament and how dangerous it will be, all contestants must be of age. That is above the age of seventeen. Many of you may think this unfair but only the best students will be selected and will most likely be seventh years who are already of age." With Dumbledores addition to the tournament many groans of disappointment sounded across the hall. Harry even saw a few third years complain about the unfairness of it all.

"The two other contending schools, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons will join us on the thirtieth of October. Champions will be selected by an impartial judge during the Halloween feast the following evening. Now that everything is said that needs to be said, off to bed the lot of you. You all have a big day of classes tomorrow." The tables all stood and began to make their way out of the hall to their dormitories.

"That's so unfair." Ron complained as they walked. "Why shouldn't people under seventeen be allowed to enter, I am sure I could do fine in that tournament."

"Ron, do you know why the tournament was canceled. It was because the last three times there was no winner, because everyone died before the end." Hermione said.

"Yeah but Dumbledore won't let anyone die so it wouldn't matter. No one would die no matter who entered so I wish It could have been me. I think Fred and George are trying to get in anyway so I will see if I can do it too. Do you want to enter as well Harry." Ron asked.

"Nope, no way, I have had more than enough adventures and dangerous situations for a lifetime at Hogwarts. I am sitting this out and nothing will change my mind." Harry said

"Well suit yourself, I will be entering my name and nothing will change my mind." Ron replied.

"Fine by me, If you are so sure you won't die then go for it. If you aren't the best choice then you won't get picked, if you do get picked then you should survive. Now I need to go to bed." Harry said, leaving the others in the common room to go to the dormitories. They were on the fourth level this year and Harry needed some sleep.

~•~

Harry slept wonderfully that night, the best he had in weeks. Sadly his body was still accustomed to waking up at early hours of the morning so at three o'clock Harry was wide awake. Harry thought back to all the nightmares he had been having and hoped them stopping would become permanent. He remembered to what Sirius had said back after the first one.

"Point me Marauders Map." Harry whispered. His wand floated six inches off his palm and spun to point almost straight up. Harry took out his cloak and walked to the next floor up. "Point me Marauders Map." Same response but slightly towards the fifth year dorms wall.

Once again Harry cast the spell on the next floor and found the wand pointed straight across to the sixth year, boys dorm. A silencing charm on the door in case it creaked and Harry entered the room. He cast the locating spell and found it pointing straight to Fred's trunk. Harry cast some detection spells on the trunk and found that other than a feather light charm it was free of pranks.

"Of course." Harry reminded himself. It was only the first night and he likely hadn't had time to prank his trunk yet.

Harry used his wand to open the trunk and find the map tucked in the secret pocket in the lid. He levitated the map out and switched it with the dummy he had created. Instead of showing a mal it simply said that the heir had reclaimed what was rightfully theirs.

With his mission a success Harry returned to his dorm room and put the cloak and map in his trunk. He however did not make the same mistake as Fred and placed a few alert wards and a locking charm on the trunk.

With nothing more to do for the morning Harry pulled out a book on transfiguration in a duel and began to read. An hour later he put the book down and worked on his animagus transformation. He was planning to start from the bottom now and work his way up so the left toes were next on his list. An hour and a half later he reclaimed the book and read on until six thirty.

He changed into some exercise clothes he had brought in London and left the dorm room. Curfew was released at six thirty and he planned to do a bit of running. A few laps of the quidditch pitch and some calisthenic exercises to start his day. He was a little behind with his fitness after the summer's interruptions but he made do.

He finished his exercise by seven thirty and returned to the dorm for a shower. He just entered as Dean left the bathroom.

"Where were you, you weren't in bed when I got up." he asked.

"I went for a run." Harry replied truthfully.

"A run." Dean asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, a run, you know where you move one leg in front of the other to move forward. Often used as a quick form of transportation or in some cases as a form of exercise. My run was of the exercise variety if you wanted to know." Harry said.

"Okay, you just didn't catch me as a running type of guy but suit yourself. I however will not be joining you on these runs." Dean said before he left to get changed.

Harry showered and got ready for the day in his new school robes. He woke Ron before he left or else he would sleep forever and went down to breakfast where he met Hermione and the twins.

"Good morning all." Harry greeted.

"I didn't know if you were going to manage getting up early Harry, you seemed to sleep a lot over the summer and still looked tired." Fred said.

"Well I was having trouble sleeping, maybe I was just home sick." Harry replied.

"Homesick from school." George questioned.

"Well it's as good as a home I've got. My relatives are in america and you've both seen their house." Harry answered.

"I suppose, you spend ten months of your year here and you only had a month last year." Fred said.

"Exactly, I really don't want fatty bacon for breakfast. There has to be like some fruits and cereal somewhere right." Harry asked.

"Try further down." George offered.

"They have some cereal but Hufflepuff has a nice fruit salad over there." Harry replied, taking his bowl to collect his breakfast. When he returned he had some plain weetabix that he crushed up with banana, blueberries and vanilla yoghurt.

"That looks good, don't think many go for breakfast like that often." Ginny said when she joined them.

"Probably because I had to raid Slytherin for the yoghurt." Harry said.

"I wonder why they don't have the same on every table like the feasts." Hermione said aloud.

"Maybe there were never supposed to be house tables outside feasts. Why would they restrict eating to your house anyway, it seems stupid. I guess that in the beginning if you wanted something on a different table you went and sat there. Maybe I can get Dobby to send Gryffindor table some good stuff like this." Harry suggested.

"Maybe, It does seem odd to have such strict house lines to divide us." Hermione said.

"Mr Potter, Mr Weasleys, Ms Weasley, Ms Granger. Your timetables for the year." Professor Mcgonagall handed them each a piece of parchment.

"Thank you Professor." They all responded as she moved along the table.

"Double Potions followed by History." Harry read from his timetable. "What boring morning."

"Then we have Runes and Creatures and end the day with transfiguration." Hermione said.

"Well Ron might be in a bit of a hurry for potions, he has twenty minutes and we know he could only eat a normal amount in that time. Which is not enough for Ron at all." Harry joked as Ron came skidding into the hall. He collected his timetable at the door and loudly groaned at his first class. He found his seat and inhaled all the food around him.

"Do you want me to grab your Potions gear for you Ron." Harry offered.

"Thanks Harry, I'll meet you in the dungeons." Ron only made it to potions seconds before Snape and almost lost points for huffing so loudly.

"Potions this year is different from hears one to three in that you will work independently." Snape began. "This year is in preparation for your OWL's next year. Obviously your exams will not allow for a partner to hold your hand so we will be brewing independently from now until the end of OWL's where most will no longer take this subject." Snape's speech went into discussing what the year would cover and of course quizzing Harry to ensure he was not behind despite his test scores. Turns out Harry's second place in potions was not enough for Snape. The second half of the double period was used to brew a simple pepper up potion.

History began to look at the giant wars of 1258 and as everyone expected, was terribly boring. Harry couldn't focus on the information given in the lecture with the ghosts monotone voice that could put anyone to sleep. Instead he took notes on the general subject to find a book on later to write proper notes. The period gave him a chance to catch up on lost sleep.

Creatures was absolutely terrifying, Hagrid had gone above and beyond the curriculum and bred some blast ended skrewts or something similar. The lesson was spent finding what the things ate. It did fit in well with the gears curriculum of caring for an unidentifiable magical creature. There was no way to cheat the assignment as no research on the creatures existed because they were a new breed.

Transfiguration was a recap lesson and spent going over the years layout. The curriculum planned to work on animate transfiguration. Starting with inanimate to animate objects and animate to animate which lead onto human transfigurations they began in fifth year.

Finally the day was over with only a single essay on the properties of the pepper up potion from Snape. The real excitement for the day was apparently Alastor Moody. Everyone who had taken part in his class seemed to think he was great. Harry had him in two days so he would need to wait and see.

~•~

Two days came quickly and Harry sat in the fourth floor classroom for defense against the dark arts. The class was full of excited students as the legendary auror entered the room.

"Quiet, my name is Alastor Moody and I am here for one year as a favour to Dumbledore. I was an auror who joined the academy during the start of the Grindelwald war. I apprenticed under Barron Potter during that time and after seven years recieved a masters in defensive magic and became a Master Auror at the end of the war. I was an auror until 1982 when I retired to training the academy. This year I am teaching you lot and then I am done and retiring for good."

"This year the focus is curses, their identification and their counters. I believe in practical learning so let's begin. There are three curses that the use of on a human being will grant you life in azkaban. Who can tell me what they are." Moody asked the class and as usual Hermione's hand was in the air.

"Ms-" He asked, pointing to Hermione.

"Granger, Hermione Granger. The unforgivable curses will give anyone who uses them immediate life in azkaban." Hermione answered

"And who can give me their names, Mr-" He pointed to Ron who raised his hand.

"Weasley, Ron Weasley. My dad told me about one, the imperius curse." Ron said.

"Yes, yes, we had a bit of trouble with that in the last war. The imperius curse gives the caster complete control of the victim to do as they please. It can be fought and shaken off but the signs of someone under the imperius are hard to find. The signs are there though, in the eyes, someone who knows what to look for could see it." He pulled a large spider from a glass jar and cast the curse "Imerio."

The spider immediately went still before it started doing cartwheels across the classroom. He made it jump on Parvati's head and on Rons desk, causing everyone to laugh loudly. Harry did not laugh though, it was not funny that the spider had no control over its life at that point.

"You think it is funny do you, should I make him drown himself next, jump out the window, murder all his family, lock him in a cafe forever." Moody said and all laughter stopped immediately.

"Alright, next curse, Longbottom what's the next one." Moody asked Neville.

"Er, th-the cr-cruciatus curse s-sir." Neville stuttered.

"Yes, the torture curse is a very nasty one. causes unbearable pain to the victim and prolonged exposure can cause nerve and brain damage." He pulled out the next spider and cast the curse without a second's hesitation. The spider flipped onto its back and curled its legs tight to its body, shaking in pain.

Neville was faring no better, the grip he had on the desk had turned his knuckles white and his face wasn't far behind.

"Stop." Hermione yelled. "Stop, can't you see what it is doing to him, we get its effects." she yelled.

"Yes, yes, that is the cruciatus curse. Potter, what's our final curse." Moody asked.

"The killing curse. But if you are going to show us with another spider, kill the one you tortured. It doesn't need to suffer any longer." Harry said.

"Of course, you are the expert on the curse Potter, being the only one to survive it. Avada Kedavra." There was a flash of green and Harry jumped slightly in his seat.

"Scared of that one are you Potter." Draco Malfoy's voice drawled from the back of the class.

"The first two words I remember set me on edge a bit. It isn't a pleasant memory to have in my head. I am just glad there is no maniacal laughter." Harry replied flatly, the entire class was dead silent at his words. The bell rang and the class slowly dispersed.

Harry quickly came to regret saying that. By dinner the entire school was discussing Harry's earliest memory. There were various reactions to it, some saying it was fake and only for attention, others taking pity on Harry for having such a memory. One brave second year even asked for a recount of the whole story. He was promptly told to piss off or Harry's first may be his last, Harry was very touchy on the subject of that night.

~•~

The next day after lunch was the Gryffindor and Slytherin fourth years second DADA period for the year. Most were either excited or scared about what could happen after such an intense first lesson.

"Today we will be continuing on the unforgivable curses, mainly the imperius. We briefly touched on the effects of the curse and how to spot it but today we will work on how to fight it. Unlike the other two, the imperius curse can be fought off by someone of strong will and mind. I don't expect any of you to be capable of throwing it off but it is important to know what it feels like to know what you are fighting. So today I will place each of you under the curse and you will attempt to fight it off. First on the roll then, Ms Brown to the front." Moody beckoned the girl to stand in front of him. He muttered the curse and a wisp of grey smoke enveloped her.

The effect was immediate, Lavenders eyes glazed over, a smile crept onto her face and she sighed with happiness. Suddenly she was taking a few steps back before running between the tables. She performed a cartwheel, followed by a backwards handspring and a full backflip with textbook technique. Moody ended the curse and she breathed the smoke back out before looking around confused.

"As you can see I had complete control, Ms Brown have you ever done gymnastics." Moody asked.

"No, I was terrible at it when I was younger." She replied with a blush.

"What does this show us about the curse." Moody asked the class, nobody seemed to know but Harry slowly raised his hand.

"It doesn't matter about the victims capabilities. You have complete control over them and can make them do anything or at least attempt to. You could make her run endlessly until her body collapsed with complete exhaustion." Harry answered.

"Exactly, so if someone seems to be doing something that they shouldn't be capable of it could be the imperius. Next up, Ms Bulstrode."

The class continued in the same fashion, Bulstrode did a graceful ballet dance, Crabbe followed with a break dance. Tracey Davis behaved like a cat and Seamus a dog. Goyal acted the part of a woman drinking tea and Hermione moved around like a monkey. Daphne Greengrass did some push-ups with a clap behind her back with each and then one handed.

Neville did a small hip hop dance and Malfoy grunted around the class like a gorilla. Theodore Nott behaved like an infant and crawled across the ground and sucked on his thumb. Pansy Parkinson dragged her bum on the ground like a cat and Pavarti walked up and down the class on her hands. The lesson so far had been enjoyable for everyone except right after someone's embarrassing performing.

"Mr Potter, you're up next. Lets see if you're immune to just the one unforgivable or is it all three." Moody said, Harry wished he hadn't said that.

As soon as the curse was cast Harry felt peace and happiness flood his mind. Harry hadn't felt so relaxed and hally in forever and was more than happy to enjoy it. Until he felt Moody's presence, it felt foreign and was ruining Harry's peaceful feelings.

"Jump on the desk." It whispered gently to him. "Go on, jump on the desk and do a dance."

Harry was happy though, why would he jump on the desk and listen to this intruder when he was happy where he was.

"Hurry up, do it now, jump. JUMP." The voice yelled in his head but Harry did not jump, instead he jumped up and spun around to sit on the desk instead. He looked Moody right in the eyes, fake and real and said firmly "No, I would rather not dance on the desk."

"Well done Potter, the first to fight it off." Moody congratulated him. "Thirty points to Gryffindor, Mr Thomas up you come."

Dean was made to get on the desk and dance and ended with a nice flip off it to the ground. Ron pranced like a ballerina and Blaise Zabini rounded out the lesson with another gymnastics performance.

By lunch half the school was whispering about Harry's new found immunity to the unforgivable curses. By dinner the rest of the school joined them and rumors naturally developed into outrageous stories. Harry's favourite was that the curse bounced off of him and he was in control of Moody for the rest of the lesson making him to stupid things.

"I wonder if I will ever complete the set." Harry joked at breakfast the next morning. "I would hold a record, first person to survive all three unforgivable curses."

"Harry." Hermione berated him, hitting him on the shoulder. "What a horrible thing to say, why would anyone want to be hit be all three curses."

"I never said I want to, I said I wonder if I will ever. Knowing my record for getting into trouble I wouldn't put it past me to somehow get hit with it." Harry said, thinking back to the close call at the world cup.

"Well don't say that again, the unforgivable curses are not something to joke about." She replied.

"Man I am glad Dobby could get this stuff sent to our table." Harry said as he ate his bowl of cereal, fruit and yoghurt. "Too bad we couldn't get pizza for dinner.

~•~

Harry had been spending his spare time productively since he got the map back. He had been planning his first prank on the entire school. It had taken a while for him to get it right and the potion was a pain to brew in secret but he had gotten it to work. The piece of resistance for his prank however, was the message to the twins at the end.

Harry sat at the dinner table on the twenty fifth of september and happily ate the treacle tart for dessert. Only it wasn't normal treacle tart. Across the hall everyone was transforming slightly and it varied between everyone.

Some had the mouth of a duck and were quacking endlessly. Others were barking dogs, a few cats around the hall and many pigs. Hermione looked horrified at her new cat face. Harry had turned into a lion face and was giving some mighty roars.

Dumbledore now had the face of a goat and mcgonagall was a dog. Snape looked like a very overgrown bat. Behind the staff table fireworks erupted and burst in a shower of colourful sparks. When the colours settled a message had been left floating.

Dear fellow pranksters.

I, the Marauders heir, 

challenge you to a prank battle.

All pranks must occur at dinner and effect the 

entire school population, staff are optional.

All pranks must wear off before classes begin again the next day or after the weekend.

All pranks must be signed by your chosen name so we can identify who to credit the prank with.

Yours sincerely, The Marauders Heir.

The message hovered in the air for about thirty seconds before the words burst in another shower of sparks. The great hall sounded like an animal barn when everyone tried to speak about the message. Dumbledore tried to call for quiet but could only baa like a goat.

Eventually several loud bangs burst from his wand and he wrote a message in the air instructing everyone to return to their dorms. Anyone who was not returned to their natural state by morning could see Madam Pomfrey to find a cure.

The hall once again burst into baas, meows, woofs, moos and other animal sounds as everyone left the hall to their dorms. The following morning only Hermione needed to visit the hospital wing to reverse some overly large front teeth from turning into a beaver. Fortunately Madam Pomfrey did not realise that nobody was actually a beaver and Hermione was in fact a cat instead.

Harry had steadily been improving his animagus transformation and had now formed both feet up to just below his knees and both forearms. The next step was rather tricky as it shifted a larger joint. The next step would be to fully shift his lower body and grow a tail.

~•~

"Hey Potter" Cormac Mclaggen called out to him when Harry entered the common room with Hermione and Ron.

"What is it Cormac, I have a transfiguration essay to complete." Harry replied.

"I hope you know that next year, I will be keeping the seeker position. Oliver told me he was annoyed Mcgonagall gave it to you because I was better. So not you or your fancy broom are going to take it away from me." Cormac said.

"You lost every single game, you even lost to Malfoy and he's the worst seeker in the competition. I could beat you every time Cormac and I will play seeker next year and Gryffindor will win the quidditch cup." Harry retorted.

"Only because of your expensive broom. Everyone knows you have no skill." Cormac snapped.

"I could beat you on any broom Cormac and you know it." Harry responded.

"Fine then, I'll go find you a broom and we'll play a seeker chase. Best of three snitches wins." Cormac Challenged.

"You're on. When do you want to lose Cormac." Harry accepted.

"Right now, the pitch is free. Unless you want to chicken out Potter, you can use my brothers broom and I will use my new cleansweep 300. Shall we say a galleon just to make it interesting." Cormac held out his hand

"Done, lets go." Harry shook the hand. He left to his dorm to get changed while Cormac did the same and found the brooms. When Harry got to the pitch Cormac was waiting with two brooms in hand. Half of Gryffindor house were in the stands and word had travelled quick because so wee quite a few from the other houses.

"Here you go Harry, my brothers Cleansweep 50." Cormac said as he tossed a broom to Harry. The cleansweep 50 wasn't a proper broom at all. It was a trainer broom with speed and height restricting charms all over it. Harry looked at the broom with more than a little curiosity about why his brother had one of these. If Sirius was to believed Harry used to race around on one of these that he got for his first birthday.

"Not going to back out now are you Harry, you said any broom." Cormac teased.

"That's not a broom, that's a stick and some twigs." Ron protested.

"Are you sure you have the galleon to pay up when I win Cormac." Harry replied smoothly.

"Ha, I think I might by some new gloves with my winnings." Cormac said as he flew to the centre of the pitch.

"Harry, you can't seriously want to play him on that. Those things can't go over ten feet and fifteen K's. It doesn't matter how good you are you won't win." Ron whispered.

"He only said I had to use his broom. He never said I couldn't change the enchantments on it." Harry replied with a smirk. He pulled out his wand and cast a bunch of spells on the broom.

"Hey Cormac, are we going simple rules. First to the snitch three times wins." Harry yelled out.

"This is a seekers challenge little Harry, anything goes. first to three catches. Standard definition of a catch." Cormac called back as he laughed with his friends.

"That dirty cheat, Harry this will be one brutal game of quidditch." Ron warned him.

"He just said anything goes. That includes all the illegal charms I just drowned his brothers broom in." Harry replied.

"Illegal charms, what do they do." Hermione asked.

"Well one of them allows me to adjust the speed with my hand like a throttle. It also means virtually instant acceleration. You can see why it was banned. Lots of other ones that just break safety codes and other things." Harry explained.

"You ready Harry." Lee Jordan asked who would be officiating the game.

"Good to go Lee." Harry replied as he mounted his broom.

"Cormac." Lee asked to which the boy nodded.

"When I blow the whistle, the game begins. We will reset here after each catch." Lee called. He released the snitch and blew his whistle.

Cormac and the snitch raced upwards. Harry followed at the ten feet mark and Cormacs friends burst into laughter from the crowd. Cormac was following the snitch closely with Harry doing the same directly beneath them. Right as Cormac was going to catch the snitch it dived backwards and shot directly to Harry's waiting hand.

"What was that, you can't just summon the snitch. That's cheating." Cormac yelled when he returned to the centre.

"One point to Harry, the rules were established as anything goes. Anything you want to change Cormac." Lee asked between his laughter.

"No snitch manipulating magic. Now lets go again, now that Potter can't cheat." Cormac huffed. Lee's whistle blew as the snitch flew away. Cormac took chase and Harry disappeared.

Cormac was hot on the snitch for two minutes as it raced around the pitch, all thoughts of his competition gone. Just as Cormac was about to grab the snitch he was shoved to the side. The snitch slowed down and gently floated back to the centre while it struggled to flap its wings. Cormac was about to chase it again when Harry's disillusionment charm was cancelled and he floated back slowly with the snitch in his hand.

"Wh-what, you can't do that, you cheated again." Cormac screamed at Harry.

"Sorry Cormac, Harry's point, that's two nill to Harry. You only said no snitch manipulating magic." Lee said from the ground where he had been rolling and laughing at Cormac's misfortune.

"Fine, no magic at all. If you cast a spell you forfeit the round." Cormac huffed, face red with embarrassment and anger.

"Anything else you want to change." Lee asked.

"No, lets go." The snitch was released and both players shot after it this time. To Cormac's surprise, Harry was right up next to him at fifty feet going the same speed.

The snitch darted left and right, up and down. Weaving up and down the pitch trying to evade the two seekers on its heels. The snitch would have been caught ages ago if not for the dirty play by both players. If Harry was still the tiny, underfed child he was before he would have been smoked and lost quickly. But now that he was a good size for his age and had more muscle on him he was giving as good as he got.

The snitch dived directly down from the top of its three hundred foot climb. Both seekers peeled around and shot right after it at insane speeds. The ground was getting closer and closer and it became a game of chicken. Fifty feet, twenty five, fifteen, ten, the snitch pulled out and leveled out. Harry pulled up and followed straight after it, just skimming the grass with his feet.

Cormac wasn't so lucky. The nose of his broom hit the ground as he leveled out and sent him flying off his broom. The broom snapped in two and he went bouncing along the pitch. Harry stayed on the snitch and caught it two seconds later.

The crowd cheered with excitement, not only had Harry beaten Cormac three to nil, he had put him in the dirt too. Cormac's friends ran onto the pitch to levitate him to the hospital wing and the rest went to congratulate Harry. Harry was hoisted onto Fred and Georges shoulders as they carried him back to the common room.

"It's not that big of a deal, why are you carrying me guys."Harry asked the twins on their journey to Gryffindor tower, surrounded by a group of Gryffindors.

"Cormac Mclaggen is the biggest dickhead in all of Gryffindor." Fred started.

"He only got the position last year because he was the reserve." George continued.

"Wood was devastated you weren't playing because that meant he was playing." Fred followed.

"He was made reserve because he wouldn't stop nagging Oliver." George finished.

"Yeah, he wouldn't shut up about how much better than you he was. The fact that you beat him three to nothing when he should have won easily means there is no way he will be picked." Katie Bell added.

"Well you can put me down now, unless you want to carry me up seven flights of stairs." Harry said. The twins agreed and put him down. When Harry got back to the common room a bunch of people cheered and patted him on the back as he made his way back to his dorm.

Cormac was let out of the hospital two days later after having both arms and his ankle repaired by Madam Pomfrey. He gave Harry the galleon with head bowed in shame and slapped it into Harry's hand before storming away. Cormac never bragged about his seeker skills again but instead started to train for keeper because it would be the only contestable position.


	9. Chapter 9- Treachery is Contagious

All of Hogwarts, students and staff, stood waiting beneath the setting sun. Today was the thirtieth of October and in a few short minutes, the schools of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would be arriving. They had already been waiting for five minutes and peoples attention was beginning to wane.

"Look, in the sky. What is it." Someone called out and all eyes shifted to the stars slowly appearing in the darkening night sky.

"Is it a bird." One person called.

"Is it a plane." A muggleborn followed with.

"No It's superman." multiple muggle borns shouted causing most the muggleborns and half bloods to burst into laughter. Even some purebloods seemed to understand the phrase and chuckled.

"It looks like santa's sleigh to be honest." Another called. As the object got closer they could see a large carriage being pulled by flying animals. The carriage landed on the grass in front of them and a small boy in thin blue robes hopped out. He pulled some stairs out from beneath the carriage and set them out. The boy stood to the side and opened the door again to allow the largest woman Harry had ever seen to exit the carriage. She was even taller than Hagrid and he was like a giant.

"Madam Maxime, I welcome you and your students to Hogwarts." Dumbledore greeted the woman with a bow.

"Thank you for accepting us to your school Headmaster Dumbledore." She replied with a thick french accent but otherwise very good english.

"If your students would like to make their way inside Professor Flitwick will show them the way. That is of course unless they want to join us in waiting for the Durmstrang students." Dumbledore offered.

"We will follow this Flitwick inside, the weather is much colder than France here. However my abraxan horses need a firm hand to handle them and only drink single malt whiskey." She said, signalling for her students and walking inside.

"Bloody hell, did you see all those french witches." Ron whispered to Harry. "They sure don't bread them like that at Hogwarts." Harry just laughed in response and continued to look for Durmstrangs arrival.

"In the lake." Someone yelled. It was hard to see in the dark but there were a large patch of bubbles.

"It's probably just the squid." Another said aloud. However soon a small crows nest popped out of the lake. It was soon followed by a mast and then an entire ship was floating towards the shore. There was a loud splash as the anchor was dropped and a thud when a wide wooden plank hit the grass on the lake shore. Around twenty students all in thick, red, woollen cloaks walked down the plank in single file. They were headed by a short man with curly black hair and a short curly goatee on his chin.

"Headmaster Karkaroff, I hope your trip went smoothly." Dumbledore bowed to the man.

"Your squid gave us a bit of trouble on the way up but it was well." Karkaroff bowed back.

"If you would follow Professor Mcgonagall she will show you the way." Dumbledore gestured to the stern deputy head.

"Oh my god, It's Viktor Krum." Ron shouted when the boy next to Karkaroff came into the light. Whispers of excitement and murmurs of confusion spread through the assembled students.

"I would have thought he had at least finished school." Hermione said.

The Durmstrang delegation made their way inside as the Hogwarts students waited outside respectfully. Dumbledore signalled for everyone to make their way to the great hall and everyone gladly left the now very cold lawn and followed the crowds inside.

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table and like most, looked around to see where the other schools were. Unfortunately, neither school were in the great hall. Dumbledore from his seat at the staff table where four extra seats had been made, two on his left and two on his right.

"Ladies, gentlemen and ghosts of Hogwarts, let us stand to welcome the wonderful students of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their Headmistress, Madame Olympe Maxime." Dumbledore announced.

The great hall doors burst open to show the French students standing in wait. They began to walk up the centre aisle between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. After every five or so steps the girls would break to the sides and sing a single note as the boys conjured small butterflies that fluttered across the hall before dissolving into glitter and falling to the ground. When they reached the front they all moved across to the right.

"Beauxbatons Academy of Magic." Dumbledore presented to the hall. "And now to introduce the students of Durmstrang Institution and their Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff."

The great hall doors opened again to reveal the Durmstrang students with their red cloaks. They all held staffs except Karkaroff and Krum who lead the group at the front. Similarly to Beauxbatons, every five steps the students turned to the side. However instead of sweet singing and butterflies, they stamped their staffs and gave a mighty "Ha." When they had reached the front, the students parted ways to either side of the path as two more students came cartwheeling and flipping down the centre. The two reached the front after an impressive flip and spat fire above the staff table.

"Durmstrang Institution." Dumbledore said once more over the loud applause. Much to all of Gryffindor and Hufflepuffs disappointment, Durmstrang sat with Slytherin and Beauxbatons with Ravenclaw.

"Welcome Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to the ancient halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now before we eat we have two more people to introduce. Ludo Bagman, head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports and Bartimus Crouch, head of the Department of International Cooperation. They have been assisting in organising the tournament and will act as the fourth and fifth judge. Now without further ado, let the feast begin."

As usual the golden plates filled with food and the hall with the echoes of chatter and laughter. Harry thought the elves had out down themselves with all the foreign dishes to suit the visiting students.

"Well you're the travel expert Hermione." Harry said. "What on earth is all of this." Harry pointed to the foreign food he didn't recognise.

"Er… I don't know about the german dishes but I recognise these French ones, that is bouillabaisse, it's like a spicy seafood soup sort of thing. That's some cassoulet, it's like a casserole and very nice." Hermione said.

"Him, seafood it is." Harry decided, taking a scoop of the dish. He ate a few mouthfuls and quickly topped his bowl up, it was rather delicious.

"Are you done wiz zee bouillabaisse." A soft voice said behind Harry with a very heavy french accent.

"Just a second." Harry replied as he filled his bowl again. "So what do you think of the ancient castle that is Hogwarts." Harry asked in perfect french as he handed the dish to the girl. She was very beautiful with silky silver hair and sapphire blue eyes in a perfect face.

"It is very cold, the ceiling is very beautiful though. Beauxbatons does not have the night sky in theirs." She answered also in french with a hint of surprise.

"I suppose it is cold," Harry laughed "and a bit gloomy with the torches and suits of armour. The ceiling is rather pretty and so is the lake at the right time of day. A lot like your eyes, you have very beautiful eyes Mademoiselle-" Harry said, leaving the sentence open as a question.

"Delacour, Fleur Delacour, and you are." She asked out of niceties rather than any real interest.

"Harry Potter, enjoy your bouillabaisse, it was nice to meet you Fleur." Harry replied, finally handing the dish over.

"Likewise" She said and quickly returned to her spot at the Ravenclaw table. When Harry turned back to continue his dinner he noticed everyone looking at him funny.

"What." He asked.

"That was a veela Harry, didn't you notice." Ron said.

"She was very pretty but I don't think she was a veela. I would have felt it if she was a veela." Harry replied.

"Well I don't know how you didn't but every other dude sure as hell did." Seamus said. "Not a single guy didn't have their eyes on her, I bet if they could form words they would be asking for her hand. Me included."

"I am sure you are overreacting, we all know you have a thing for blondes." Harry shrugged. Back over on the Ravenclaw table Fleur was also in a discussion about the opposite sex with her friend.

"English boys giving you problems, seemed to take a while to get your dinner over there." Emile Durand asked Fleur in French.

"Yes, first he wanted to know what I thought about this icebox of a school. Although he did speak french which was helpful. I was trying to be polite, I said it was cold but the ceiling was nice. Then he goes and laughs at me before trying to woo me like all the others. He said my eyes were very pretty, like the lake at the right time of day. He asked for my name and gave me his." Fleur huffed.

"He really said that, usually it's something more direct like, you have very nice boobs or something. I don't think anyone ever said about your eyes and if he was talking that much he must not have been a stuttering idiot. What was his name anyway. Not many french speaking boys in this place other than the rich snobs over there from Beauxbatons." Emile said.

"I wasn't paying attention, it was like Harry something. I think it started with a P." Fleur answered.

"My god, Harry Potter. What did he look like, was he cute, did he look single." Emile giggled.

"You are incograble, nobody wants a fan girl or boy gushing over them, I thought you would know that from me. It's always been my rule to ignore the beggars and droolers. I believe it was Harry Potter and if you want to know, go and ask him." Fleur said.

"I can't just ask him, I need a cover, are there any other french desserts over there to take. Maybe I can start a conversation." Emily giggled again.

"Shut up, the old Headmaster is going to speak." Fleur hissed.

"Well now that we are all fed up, we can begin the tournament. Mr Filch if you would," Dumbledore signaled the caretaker who carried out a pedestal with a cloak covering something on top of it.

"Now before we reveal our judge I believe a bit of an explanation is required. As you all know the triwizard tournament involves three champions, one from each of the three schools. Starting in about five minutes you will all have twenty four hours to enter your name for your school. However, do not do this lightly, entering your name contributed to a magically binding contract that states you will see it through to the end. Each task will be highly dangerous and test the champions magical power and skill, their courage, daring and most importantly, their ability to act in a dangerous situation. Now for our impartial judge, the goblet of fire." Dumbledore flicked his wand and the cloak fell to the ground revealing a large goblet full of blue flames.

"To ensure that nobody under the age of seventeen enters their name I will place an age line around the hoblet along with several other wards to prevent levitating or throwing your name in, removing the goblet from the confines of the wards and other such tricks. Now those entering may do so from now until tomorrow evening. The rest of you off to bed.

"Well that's just too easy, an aging potion will beat the age line and we are away. A goblet can't tell how old you are." Fred said as they walked back to the common room.

"Who will join us on our quest to enter the tournament. Ronniekins, Harry." George asked.

"Definitely, Count me in." Ron said.

"Didn't you here Dumbledore, the tasks will be incredibly dangerous." Hermione said.

"And if I couldn't handle them I won't get picked. Besides, Dumbledore would never let anyone die. How about it Harry." Ron asked.

"Nope, I'm not going within one hundred feet of that thing until it's put out. I'm going to enjoy a risk free year while some other bloke gets death stares from a giant snake. There is no way I am ever going to try and enter that tournament." Harry said confidently.

"At least someone agrees with me. This tournament is not meant for people under seventeen so why bother." Hermione huffed.

"For a bit of excitement of course." Fred said.

"We better brew this aging potion quickly though. We still need to finish up our response to the Marauders Heir. Man I wish I knew who they were." George said.

"Well you guys have fun. I'm having an early night, don't need any of your drama about the tournament." Harry said and left to his dorm. He spent the next hour changing his legs to a white tigers from between the knees and hips behind his bed curtains.

~•~

Harry wasn't in a good mood when he woke up. today was never a good day for Harry and he just realised what it clashed with. Harry did not have a good feeling about today.

Fortunately they all had the day off to do as they pleased. Dumbledore had decided that nobody would focus in class with the suspense of who the champions would be champion and cancelled classes.

"Come on Harry, let's go see who puts their name in." Ron said when he joined them in the common room.

"No thanks, you guys go watch if you want though. I won't stop you." Harry replied. He had woken up really early this morning, around four o'clock. He rang Sirius and they talked but he had to go. He was across the date line and wouldn't be the thirty first until tomorrow.

"Why not Harry, it'll be fun, I here Fred and George are taking bets on who will get selected. Don't you want to cheer me on when I put my name in." Ron asked

"I would Ron, I really would but I don't think an age line will be fooled by a simple potion and I didn't sleep well. I think I might just go back to bed." Harry said and left to his dorm. He spent most of the day looking through his photo album. At five o'clock Harry decided he didn't want to go to the feast tonight and set off to find Mcgonagall.

"Mr Potter, what are you doing here." Professor Mcgonagall asked when he knocked on her door.

"I've come to ask permission to skip the feast tonight, I know it is compulsory but I really don't want to go. Todays already a bad day and every year something happens at that feast." Harry said.

"It is a hard day isn't it. Thirteen years since you lost your parents, thirteen years since I lost my godson." Mcgonagall replied.

"It doesn't help that everyone in this place is so dumb. Nobody understands what this day represents. They think I should be celebrating the day I defeated Tom and the day I became famous. They all forget it's the day I lost my entire family. My parents murdered in front of my eyes, Sirius carted off to azkaban, Peter fleeing after his betrayal, Remus forced into poverty. And I was ditched on the Dursleys doorstep." Harry said.

"It was a terrible day for all those close to James and Lily. At least you wouldn't remember any of it."

"I remembered it Professor, it's the first memory I have. I spent months when I was eight trying to find the meaning of Avada Kedavra and green lights that could kill people. Professor, do you have any stories about them." Harry asked.

"Maybe a few from before James started school but not many of Lily. Like James first accidental magic. He was four years old and I was over for tea…" The next hour Professor Mcgonagall told Harry about his father's life before Hogwarts. At six o'clock she had an elf bring some dinner for Harry and gave him a photo album to look at while she went to the feast.

~•~

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and most importantly guests, to the Halloween feast. The house elves have worked tirelessly to prepare our fest tonight so we best not ignore their work any longer. Let the feast begin." Dumbledore called across the great hall. The hall was once again full of cobwebs and pumpkins, spiders and skeletons to celebrate Halloween.

The plates filled with an incredible variety of halloween themed foods and loud chatter from all three schools. Halloween seemed to be a common holiday across muggle and magical worlds. Although some of the Beauxbatons students didn't appreciate the spider illusions that scuttled around the place. When all the plates were clean of the delicious food Dumbledore stood up again.

"Now that we are all fed and watered we can begin. We still have a few more moments before the champions selection so let us introduce the prize for our winner. Not only will the one champion who comes out on top receive a thousand galleons and eternal glory, the champion will have the right to hoist above their head, this chalice of champions, this vesile of victory, The Triwizard Cup." Dumbledore flicked his wand and revealed a huge glass cup with six sides. It had three silver handles shaped like dragons and Tri Wiz Cup, etched on the front.

"Any second now we will have our first champion." Dumbledore said. Two seconds later the goblets blue flames turned red and a small piece of parchment burst out the top. Dumbledore snatched it from the air easily and read the parchment.

"The Durmstrang champion is, Victor Krum." Dumbledore announced. The Durmstrang students cheered and patted Krum on the back, congratulating him as he approached the stage. The rest of the students clapped politely. Krum shook Dumbledore's hand and was directed into the antechamber to the left.

The goblet flared red for a second time and spat a blue, flower shaped piece of parchment out the top. "The champion for Beauxbatons is, Fleur Delacour." The hall clapped politely for the girl but only one Beauxbatons student congratulated her. The rest looked angry at her and some were even in tears.

For the third time that evening the cup flared red, Dumbledore swiftly snatched the parchment from the air and read it aloud. "And the Hogwarts champion, from Hufflepuff house, Cedric Diggory." There were many groans of disappointment at people's lack of selection before manners caught up and they cheered for the Hogwarts champion. Cedric, like the other two champions, was congratulated by Dumbledore before directed through to the antechamber.

"Now that our three champions have been selected we can put our full support behind them and help them bring victory to their schools. The first task will be held on the twenty fourth of november, the location will be given closer to the ev-" The goblet flared red once more, interrupting Dumbledore's speech. To everyone's surprise, a fourth parchment was spat out the top. It fluttered to the ground before Dumbledore could catch it. He picked it up and read it, blinked in surprise and read it again before announcing what it said.

"Harry Potter." The hall gasped and whispers broke out across the hall. "Harry Potter please come to the front." Dumbledore said even louder.

"He is not present Headmaster." Professor Mcgonagall said from her place at the staff table.

"What do you mean he is not here, the feast was announced to be compulsory." Dumbledore said.

"Potter came to my office before dinner requesting to skip the feast, I thought his reasoning sound and he is there now eating his own dinner." Mcgonagall answered.

"Not picking favourites are we Minerva, we all know your bias with Potter." Snape sneered. "I think we all ought to judge his reasoning."

"His reasonings are personal and not to be announced across the hall Severus, would you like me to fetch him Headmaster." Mcgonogal offered.

"No no, I will do it Minerva. Fawkes." The beautiful red phoenix flashed into the hall getting a few gasps from the foreign students. "Please retrieve Harry Potter and bring him here. We can see if he is in fact doing what he says."

The bird disappeared in a burst of flame, reappearing a few moments later with Harry Potter. Harry landed standing up but immediately fell to the ground. The entire hall was quiet and only broken by the soft snore of a sleeping Harry, curled up with a black leather book as a pillow.

"Mr Potter." Dumbledore said. Harry slept on. "Mr Potter." Dumbledore said slightly louder. Harry shivered slightly. He drew his wand with his eyes still closed and transfigured his robe into a thick woolen blanket before resuming his sleep. "Five points to Gryffindor for a perfect transfiguration Mr Potter, but SLEEPING IN THE GREAT HALL IS NOT PERMITTED MR POTTER." Dumbledore yelled right next to Harry.

Harry jumped up with a start, he quickly sat up and looked around. A deep blush rose up on his cheeks bit he quickly forced it down. "Good morning headmaster, can I help you." Harry said smoothly. He at least got a snicker from the Weasley twins.

"Yes you can, you can explain to me how your name came out of the goblet of fire." Dumbledore asked.

"Hmmm, I'm afraid I cannot Professor, you see I didn't go within a hundred feet of it so I couldn't possibly explain how it came out. But I would imagine it involves a banishing charm of some sorts to force it out." Harry replied, keeping his calm face. Inwardly he was panicking, how had bis name come out of the goblet.

"Please make your way to the antechamber Mr Potter." Dumbledore asked.

"Okay professor." Harry responded and quickly walked to the door. He was treated to an abundance of verbal abuse from the crowd on his walk. There were multiple shouts of "Cheat" along with some less than favourable language. All of which was conveniently ignored by the staff except Mcgonagall who took five points from Gryffindor for bad language.

"What is it Harry, do they want us back." Cedric Diggory asked when Harry entered the room.

Harry just ignored him and sat down in a corner to think. Despite his calm and collected exterior might have shown, Harry was freaking out. Hundreds of scenarios and consequences were running through his mind, searching for the best way to proceed.

Suddenly Dumbledore burst through the door followed by the other judges, Mcgonagall, Snape and Moody.

"Well Harry, I think you have a bit of explaining to do. Tell us why you were not at the feast and how your name found its way into the goblet of fire." Dumbledore demanded, letting some of his magical power escape from his body. Harry was not intimidated though.

"This day had some bad memories, I didn't want to be amongst the festivities. I didn't put my name in and I'm not competing. Never wanted to and never will." Harry replied calmly.

"Actually you don't have a choice. The goblet creates a magical binding contract. Potter must compete or he will lose his magic." Barty Crouch said from the back of the room.

"Well isn't that convenient. Why don't we just chuck Grindelwalds name in and he can lose his magic too. Apparently this one doesn't care about if you actually agree to the damn thing." Harry joked.

"Now is not the time for humor Mr Potter." Mcgonagall scolded him.

"Hogwarts can't have two champions, I didn't sign up for this. Lets go Viktor, we are leaving." Karkaroff said.

"Empty threat Karkaroff, Magical binding contract and all that. Convenient isn't it." Moody countered Karkaroff.

"Hogwarts won't have two champions. It will have Cedric as its only champion and me representing myself." Harry pointed out.

"Actually Harry the official wording on the parchment entered was 'Harry Potter, The light.' You would represent the light I suppose instead of Hogwarts." Dumbledore corrected.

"Perfect, a champion each for Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, Hogwarts and the light. Now I need to ask you Mr Crouch, this magical binding contract. Was the term used that only an of age wizard could enter or was the age seventeen specifically used." Harry asked.

"I believe the wording was any of age wizard, I fail to see how this is relevant." Crouch answered.

"Well that stops us postponing it then, Professor Dumbledore what is required for an underage wizard to be declared a legal adult." Harry asked.

"Oh I see, Well there would need to be a reason warranting the emancipation and a signed document by a Wizengamot member, a Ministry department head, the underage wizard and their guardians. I believe we can do it right here, Professor Mcgonagall acts as your magical guardian while at school. It then needs to be filed and approved by the child affairs office in the ministry and gringotts which only takes a week at most." Dumbledore answered.

"Why does zee boy need zis special treatment." Madame Maxime asked, her anger bringing out her accent.

"Because Madame, if I am not of age when I begin the first task I will break the terms of the contract and lose my magic. If I don't compete the same happens. Emancipation I believe Dumbledore called it is the only way around that." Harry explained.

"Yes that is correct Harry, I am disappointed that I missed that. Clearly you identifying that it would be a problem shows you wouldn't enter." Dumbledore said.

"Why on earth would I bother entering the tournament anyway." Harry asked the group.

"To satisfy your need for attention and to break the rules." Snape offered.

"Eternal fame, glory and a thousand galleons." Krum champion added.

"To prove you are more than a fortunate baby and to win your fame from your own merit." The french champion said.

"I get too much attention as it is, all the glares and stares are just annoying. My need to break the rules can be satisfied in ways other than entering a highly dangerous tournament. Eternal fame and glory, unfortunately I already have too much of that and have more than enough gold in my trust vault to buy a house already. I suppose the last could be a valid point but I have already made accomplishments that could show that and have decided to keep them hidden. The stares really are annoying, Merlin knows I don't need any more." Harry rebutted each point.

"And what accomplishments would those be." Madame Maxime asked, regaining her calmness and reducing her accent.

"Now we wouldn't want to give away all my secrets to the competition. That would ruin all the fun wouldn't it." Harry said.

"So you admit you entered for the last reason." Maxime percisted.

"I suppose a simple demonstration of a spell useless to the tournament won't hurt anyone." Harry mumbled to himself. "Expecto Patronum." He whispered, the stagg burst from his wand and land it gracefully in front of him.

"Oh my, a patronus at fourteen." Bagman said.

"Hello prongs, a message to Madam Maxime if you would." Harry said to the stagg. Prongs trotted over to Madam Maxime and stood proudly up to her waist.

"Is this a sufficient demonstration, I could prove myself the best far easier than a suicide attempt at this tournament." Harry's voice projected through the stagg.

"So the boy didn't enter himself, how can we expect him to deal with the tasks. They are not suited to a fourteen year old." Maxime said.

"Perhaps a safety escape, all champions where a ring to portkey them directly to the hospital wing in the event the are mortally injured or unconscious. That way in the event I am going to be viciously eaten by a three headed dog that doesn't fall asleep to music, I won't and it will not be shown for the entire world. It is not an escape to just quit a task but a fall back in the event one of us could be killed. If we were to be in such a state we would not finish the task and get a zero anyway." Harry suggested.

"That is an excellent idea, the portkey would only be used in the event that the champion is unconscious or wounded to the point where completion of the task is impossible." Dumbledore said.

"Well all that's left is the rules and the first task. Barty if you would." Bagman said.

"Well here we have a problem, I don't know what rules have been set. The original rules we agreed would only allow three champions, because there are four something has changed." Barty Crouch informed them.

"And how can we find the new set of rules." Cedric asked.

"Well that part is easy, anybody can request a copy of the tournament rules." Crouch taps his wand to the cup and speaks. "I request a copy of the rules submitted for the 1994-1995 tournament." The goblet flared green and a file of parchment shot out the top.

"Are there any changes Bartimius." Dumbledore asked.

"Well lets see, changed to four schools and includes the light as the fourth school. Age restriction still remains. Oh no, the task layout has changed. Everything else seems the same." Crouch said.

"How have the tasks changed." Maxime asked.

"We need to come up with a new task I am afraid. This now says champions must compete in four tasks on the twenty fourth of November, January, March and June. Also the judges panel changed, the four heads of each school and one ministry representative. We need to assign the school of light a headmaster or mistress." Crouch explained.

"I chose Remus Lupin as the headmaster of the school of light." Harry said.

"Sadly Harry, Remus cannot be your headmaster, british law forbids werewolves holding any authority over a child. The law was only passed two months ago after last years incident. I think we should elect a suitable head between the five original judges." Dumbledore said.

"Well actually Albus, the school of light is naturally based on the largest source of light, that being the sun. Due to the sun having no government presently, it has no such law. It is also stated in the school of light's rules, that the headmaster is elected every four years by the student body. As I am the only student I nominate Remus Lupin to fill the role of Headmaster of the school of light and give him my vote. On the condition he accepts my nomination he is the new headmaster of the school of light." Harry explains.

"Is that so Harry, Do you have proof of this." Dumbledore asked.

"Of course, the rule book is in the schools archives back on the sun. Unfortunately we cannot visit as the only transportation also resides on the grounds. Unless of course you know of another way to safely reach the surface of the sun and enter our heat resisting wards." Harry replies.

"Could you be kind enough to inform me where exactly on the sun your school is Harry." Dumbledore asked.

"Alas I cannot, you see the surface of the sun is not solid, our school floats in a bubble across the surface. It is constantly shifting and invisible to all as the heat is absorbed by ward stones and powers very powerful wards." Harry explained.

"How unfortunate, you will need to contact your headmaster and request he come to Hogwarts for the tournament. Now who will be our ministry judge." Dumbledore asks the two department heads.

"We have decided to alternate the role, I will be judging the first and third task whilst Ludo judges the second and fourth." Crouch said.

"Brilliant, Ludo if you could explain the first task, at least that is unchanged." Dumbledore asked.

"Right, the first task." Bagman took over. "Will be held on the twenty fourth of November and is designed to test your courage and ability to cope in a dangerous and unknown environment. For this reason you will only learn of the tasks challenge just before the task begins. The task will be held within a small stadium in the forbidden forest. The wand weighing ceremony will be held at two pm on the fifteenth of October in the trophy room. It includes a press conference so be prepared for reporters and photographers. I think that's all so you can all return to the celebrations I am sure your schools will be holding for you."

"Harry, Minerva, Barty, if you could please follow me to my office." Dumbledore said, to Harry's surprise he did not head for the door but instead a blank wall. He waved his wand at it and it shimmered to reveal a fireplace. "The address, headmasters office. Minerva if you would go first." Dumbledore handed her some floo powder.

Mcgonagall was followed by Crouch and then Harry and Dumbledore coming through last. Dumbledore conjured an oval table with four chairs for the group and they all sat down.

"Well this is about the emancipation as I assume you all know. It is a rather simple procedure, I will right the legal document that announces Harry James Potter as a legal adult with all that it entails. It will need to be signed by the four of us and then I will have it sent to the Ministry and Gringotts. It may take a few days but Harry will be a legal adult by the wand weighing." Dumbledore explained.

"Does that mean I can take the apparition test." Harry asked.

"No, the law is seventeen not of age so you cannot take the test until you are seventeen. Now just sign here and you can return to your common room." Dumbledore answered, Harry signed the form H.J.Potter and was soon on his way back to Gryffindor tower. However when he returned his welcome party was very different to that of Cedric's.

"He returns." Fred yelled when Harry entered.

"Our hero, conqueror of rules and restrictions." George yelled.

"Our very own champion." Fred continued.

"Harry James Potter." They both yelled together. Harry smiled at the twins antics. However he seemed to be the only one amused. The rest of Gryffindor were sending him some serious death glares.

"Cheater." One seventh year yelled at him.

"I did not enter my name, it has already been established by the judges and other champions. I am not competing for Hogwarts in the tournament. Unfortunately the cup is stupid and for some bull shit reason has placed me in a binding magical contract because someone entered my name without me knowing. I have to compete or I lose my magic. Why would I enter anyway, I have nothing to gain from being in the tournament." Harry explained. Some people seemed to accept that like the chaser trio who knew Harry. He still hadn't caught sight of his friends get but he hoped they would accept it too.

"I can't believe you Harry." Hermione said from the other side of the common room.

"You believe my don't you." Harry asked. "Hermione I swear I didn't put my name in."

"You just can't help yourself can you, you can't stop lying and cheating." Hermione yelled.

"What are you talking about." Harry asked, genuinely worried about what she would do.

"You cheated on your exams just to beat me, we all know you couldn't have any other way. And now you cheat your way into this tournament because you can't help but ignore what people in authority say and break the rules. Then, then you have the nerve to come here and lie that you didn't do what we all know you did." She screamed at him, tears ran down her cheeks.

"Hermione please, you know I wouldn't enter myself, your smarter than this, think about it logically. Why would I ever want to enter this stupid tournament. I told you I wasn't going within a hundred feet of that cup. Please don't do this." Harry said shakily, his voice straining in his emotions.

"More lies, I thought you were my friend. Clearly I was wrong because friends don't lie to each other." Hermione screamed at him, then she did something no one thought her capable of. She slapped him hard across the cheek leaving behind a bright red hand print. She sobbed and ran to the girls dorms.

"I told you I wanted to enter, but you had to have the glory to yourself didn't you." Ron said from the boys dorm stairs.

"Not you too Ron, I swear I didn't enter." Harry said, he was truly afraid he would lose all his friends in one day. All because of the stupid tournament.

"I told you I wanted to enter, and you said you wouldn't help me. All because you wanted the glory and attention to yourself. Don't you have enough already, or do you enjoy seeing others be less than you." Ron said quietly.

"Ron, I didn't enter, I never wanted to and I still don't want to be in this tournament." Harry replied. Hoping against hope that Ron, his best friend would not leave him to.

"Then don't compete, if you don't want to be in the tournament then don't compete." Ron said.

"I don't have a choice, if I don't then I lose my magic and I die." Harry said.

"Better to die an honest man than live a cheat." Ron replied.

"What, you have to be joking. You would prefer that I die just because of your jealousy over something I don't want to do." Harry said shocked, how could Ron say something like that.

"After everything me and my family did for you, you still turn your back on me for a bit of attention and more fame. You're worse than lockhart"

"At least I'm not a jealous prick who prefers his friends to die because they got something you wanted. I guess treachery is contagious because all that time with the rat has turned you traitor too." Harry yelled back at Ron.

Ron didn't yell back, instead he swung a right hook and punched Harry in the face as hard as he could. A single tear fell from Harry's eyes. Harry would kill who ever entered his name in this tournament and he would have no regrets and feel no remorse. Whoever entered his name had not only ruined his year, but ruined his family. Another tear feel from Harry's eyes.

"Gryffindor is for the brave, not cowards and cheats like you. You're not welcome in gryffindor tower anymore." Ron said.

"Accio." Harry cast, slipping his wand from its holster. His trunk and all his belongings came flying down the stairs and stopped at his feet. A second flick of his wand had it all packed together neatly. He picked up his trunk and left without a word or even a look back.

"Potter is going to get slaughtered in the first task, he can't even take a hit without crying. What a baby." a fifth year boy said.

"Harry must be really upset about this then." Katie Bell said to Angelina and Alicia, both still slightly annoyed that Harry got the champion position.

"What makes you say that Katie, he seemed fine to lie to them." Angelina asked.

"Well he was crying and I don't think it was from the punch. Harry has had his arm shattered and then vanished amd he still didn't cry or sob. I think he was upset or sad." Katie reasoned.

"Harry does have a high pain tolerance. Maybe we should give him a chance, he really does hate attention and it makes sense that he has no reason to enter." Alecia said.

"Exactly, Harry's going to need people to help if he's going to survive and we need Harry to win the quidditch cup next year." Katie said. So now Harry had five friends still. The twins and the chasers, maybe he would survive this.


	10. Chapter 10 - More Than a Chamber

Harry stormed out of the common room and ran, he didn't know where he was running to but he needed to be as far away from gryffindor tower as possible. He ran across Hogwarts castle deciding on the quidditch pitch. He got half way there before he broke down. He slumped against a wall and hung his head in his hands.

"Why me." Harry sobbed. "Why is it always me. Voldemort, that's why. He killed my parents and put me at the Dursleys, he was responsible for my first year and my second. If Voldemort hadn't killed my parents I wouldn't be in this mess, they would be here helping me. I wouldn't need those useless friends who are so quick to betray me just like Peter. What do I need friends for anyway, I survived the Dursleys without them and will survive the tournament without them too."

"But you didn't live" a little voice said inside his head. And it was right, he may have stayed alive but he did not live. Living meant to enjoy life, with friends and family. Surviving was just not dying.

"And I can't live with Voldemort still out their, I can't live with people controlling my life, I can't live without people to live with." A third tear fell from Harry's eyes.

:Why can't I have a normal life: Harry hissed in his anger. What did he do to deserve the world against him. And if it wasn't against him it was all on his shoulders.

A quiet grinding of stone interrupted Harry's thoughts. He looked up to see the Slytherin tapestry opposite him blowing into the wall from the breeze in the corridor.

"A secret passageway." Harry mused, he stood from the wall and entered the passage. He walked down the passage guided by his wand light. He walked for a long time and he thought he had also travelled a long way down. Seemed like a very impractical passage if it was this long.

He reached the end of the passageway at a dead end wall. Assuming the exit was hidden like the entrance Harry spoke what he thought was the trigger word from the entrance.

:Life: he said, unknowingly switching languages. The wall opened to reveal a huge circular room twenty metres in diameter. The ceiling was covered in a mural of some sort but it was too dirty to see properly. All around the walls were large pipes five feet high with small caps on them engraved with a snake. There were maybe forty or fifty pipes along the walls all the way around. The only part not with a pipe was a dark wooden door to Harry's left. On the floor was a huge Slytherin crest and that's when Harry realised where he was. Harry was in the chamber of secrets, or at least a part of it.

:lights: Harry hissed to the room to no avail. :Torches: he tried and to his delight small snakes formed between the pipes and a fire lit in their mouths to bathe the room in light.

Moving to the door Harry found it led up a set of stairs to a level above. The room once again opened into a large dark room that appeared to be filled with some furniture. :Torches: Harry said again to bring light to the room.

The room was a very stylish and expensively decorated living room. The room was lit by a crystal chandelier that hung from the domed ceiling. An open central fireplace sat in the centre of the room that filled the room with a warmth to counter the deep underground. The smoke was manipulated by magic to spiral up and round the chandelier before vanishing giving a very cool and mystical effect. Surrounding the fire were three sofas of dark green leather with silver buttons and the same dark wood as the door.

The outside of the room was decorated with many doors and a few paintings that would be thousands of years old. There were a set of large double doors that opened up to a corridor leading to the vault like door for the chamber of secrets. To its right was an intricately carved door of the same dark wood. Opening the door Harry found a large private study.

All the walls were covered in bookshelves excluding the back wall behind the desk that contained a fireplace. The desk was again made of the same dark wood and carved on every side excluding the smooth top. Behind the desk was a throne like chair to match with green leather cushioning and silver buttons. The floor had a comfortable green and silver rug. Looking closer at the books Harry found that they covered almost every branch of magic Harry could think of. He found a small section dedicated to the other three founders and even a book from Merlin and one by Morgana Lee Fay. The common theme between all the books was there advanced nature, far beyond Harry's level. The only ones he could read were on the desk. A private journal of Salazar Slytherin and three books on Parseltongue. One on the language itself and its history, a second on all known creatures that one could speak to and a third on Parselmagic. Deciding to come back to it Harry moved on to the next room.

He opened a plain door into a grand master bedroom from a thousand years ago. One wall was lined with wardrobes full of old, heavy robes for a man of five foot ten inches and a woman two inches shorter. In one corner was a screen to dress behind. The back wall had a king size four poster bed with solver hangings and sheets, the slytherin crest embroidered in green on the sheets. The floor was covered with a cerberus hide rug that was incredibly warm and soft. To the left was another door that opened into a bathroom. It was an average sized bathroom with a two person bath in one corner. A basin on the wall next to a shelf with silver towels, small slytherin crests on the corners. A toilet sat behind a screen at the back that magically vanished waste and smell.

Exiting the room Harry skipped the next door that led to the passage room, the next was an archway that led to a kitchen and dining area. The kitchen was very basic and magically operated meaning Harry had no idea how it worked. The dining table was a small two person table of dark wood with a silver tablecloth and slytherin crest on all four corners.

The last room was wandless magic work area. There was a small artificial green house, a potions lab and stores and a rune carving bench with every tool imaginable.

"Well this might come in handy." Harry said aloud from his seat in the living room. His first decision was to clean the place up a bit and make it his own. He took all the clothing from the wardrobes out and hung placed them in a storage closet that was empty. He switched the bed sheets and went over the entire bedroom with a good cleaning charm. He placed his trunk next to the bed and unpacked his stuff.

His next step was a plan of action he needed to make. He made his way into the study and taking a piece of parchment and some ink he wrote out his plan.

Research Tournament

-determine first task

Restart Sirius training

Use the 'Light' to its advantages

-Compete as champion of the light.

-Give Cedric Hogwarts Champion title.

It wasn't a very good plan so far but he couldn't do much without knowing what the first task would or could be. Until then he could only try to prepare himself as much as possible over all magical arts. With nothing he could really do, he began to read Slytherins journal.

I will kill them all, all those blasted mundanes I will kill them all. Burn every last one of them like they did to my family, the entire ancient and noble house of Slytherin killed by blasted mundanes. I wrote this diary as a coping method suggested by my companion Godric. It was Godric who found me amongst the wreckage of my home after the mundanes of the village burnt it to the ground. Godric has ambition beyond measure to save all of the magical beings and presently, is dragging me along to. But I have nowhere else to go and he is willing to help me learn and keep me alive. After all I am only nine years old and cannot survive on my own yet.

Harry was both surprised and unsurprised at the first entry. Slytherin wished to kill every last muggle but it was because they killed his family. Harry wasn't expecting that, to think that muggles had burnt his family for being magical was terrifying. Harry kept reading and was amazed by the changes in Salazar Slytherin

Helga has become a surrogate mother to me now. I had resisted the elder woman's kind and caring attitude towards me at first mistaking it for pity. However she has helped myself and Godric, my brother I suppose, to further develop our plans. To educate all wizarding children in the magical arts. I have learnt many things from the young man, the warrior that helped me six years ago. Helga who has also saved us both with her knowledge of healing and potions to survive the harsh wilderness in our quest for knowledge and peace for magical people. Our course has shifted to scotland where Helga knows of a Lady of a castle who was born with the gift of magic. She is said to be exceedingly intelligent in the arts of spell crafting and runes. Let us hope she will lend us land to forge our school and assist us in teaching those who wish to learn her ways.

Again Harry was surprised by the journal from the few entries between Salazar's childhood to the cusp of adulthood. Firstly the age gap between three of the founders. Salazar was presently fifteen and Godric twenty four, Helga however was just entering her sixties. Also Salazar's new determination to rise above the muggles or mundanes instead of killing them all by teaching the arts of magic.

last night over dinner was an eye opening experience with my family. We had secured the castle of Ravenclaw after a single meeting with Rowena but the discussion of why each of us wanted the school has revealed a lot of my new family. Godric had never told me in the seven years I had known him of where his determination to construct a school had come from. To learn that only weeks before I met him his own mother and father had been burnt at the stake for performing magic by mundanes. That in his rage he killed every man in the village who had raided his parents' home. That not only did he wish to teach all magical children but to protect them from the horrors of what the mundanes would do to them. Helga also shared her reasoning, she was enslaved by mundanes for many years and had witnessed the horrible things they did to magical people. Raoed and murdered children who seek their help for the strange things happening to them. She witnessed how defenseless an uneducated witch or wizard was and the danger they posed to themselves and those around them. Rowena's story was equally as shocking, she had no magical ancestors that she knew of but was born as the only daughter of the mundane Ravenclaw house. Her mother died in birth and her father forcing her to study magical arts for him to use to his benefit. She worked as a slave to do his bidding. After hearing our olan she was determined to rescue and help all those like her, the mundane born.

Harry's perspective of the Hogwarts founders changed dramatically from what he first thought to having read the first few pages of Slytherins journal. Rowena Ravenclaw was just like him, outcast by her family for having magic and enslaved to do their bidding, now dedicated to protecting muggleborns. Helga Hufflepuff, enslaved by muggle law enforcement and witnessed what muggles did to magicals, also dedicated to protecting others. Godric Gryffindor, a warrior who took revenge for his family and now seeks the same as the others.

Today we have decided on the name of our school. Hogs wards. It is a strange name but it was aptly given for Rowena's small mistake. Her warding plan that we all cast had only one flaw. It acted as a beckon for Hogs. After we cast them yesterday we had a total of forty seven Hogs show up on the grounds. A redirecting charm has moved them all to the enchanted forest but we now have a name.

Harry was curious as to how exactly the name changed from Hogs wards to Hogwarts. Maybe a spelling mistake on the first letters. It made so much more sense to have the original name with its reasoning than that a warty hog led them to the area which they built Hogwarts.

it has taken eleven years but we have done it, who would have thought that the four of us could build a school of magic. Today the students from all around the globe and the masters we have employed arrived on the thestral draw carriages supplied by Johnothan Peverell. Each student was placed in our houses according to their profile. All mundane borns were collected personally and taken to the carriages. I have been awarded the classroom on the second floor to teach Transfiguration to my students. The Translation charms for the foreign students has worked wonders. Finally our plan has come together.

So the thestral carriages used to bring the students all the way to Hogwarts. Harry assumed that it was simply to uphold tradition

I have made a huge mistake. The Gaunt mistress I had bed eleven years ago had fallen pregnant. She gave the child my name and has pronounced him as my heir. Salazar Slytherin jr arrived at Hogs wards for the opening feast and he is a horrible child. He has already bullied and tormented children who are not born to magical parents. He has an unreasonable hatred for Godric and Helga because they allow mundane borns into the school. I rue the day he learns Rowena is in fact mundane born. He has determined that all those that are not pureblood are not worthy of magical education and deems all with mundane heritage as 'mudbloods.' I pray to Merlin that I can teach him to accept mundane borns.

So the Salazar Slytherin that hated muggleborns was in fact his son and not the founder. Harry was far too curious to put the book down despite the late hour and read on.

I truly regret the decision I have made today. I was forced to expel my own son from our school for his actions. He attempted to curse my wife, Sarah, and my unborn child because her parents are not magical. I disowned him as my heir and banished him from the grounds. He promised me he would return to take the school that was rightfully his and I am afraid I have made a mistake.

I venture out today to confront my son. Salazar has killed Helga's husband Henry and he must be stopped. I have left my will with Sarah where she will stay safe in my chamber, perfected by Barthaza. If I fail my basilisk will protect my school when my son comes for it. My daughter, Dahlia was born without magic and is safely hidden in Wales with her husband Christopher Ifan. Her next magical born male will be appointed my heir when he is born.

I have returned from my quest and my son is defeated, sadly his grandson has left and continues to spread the belief of pureblood supremacy under the name of gaunt. However I will not live much longer, I have been struck by a withering curse and have been bed ridden in my chamber. My friends think me dead and I pray they took my advice before I left sincerely. It was my hope that they would raise mundane borns in the castle from the moment they were born. Too many children are killed by their parents or come to our school incapable of reading, writing and hygiene. Godric opposed the idea but hopefully the memories of being attacked when speaking to the parents will help persuade him. I understand that his loss of his parents makes him against the idea of taking a child from its parents. My fortune is secured behind me and my heir will claim it when he comes. Let us hope he does right by this earth and is not like the gaunts but his mundane heritage in my daughter teaches him that all people are worthy to learn magic, no matter their parentage.

Harry went to sleep that night with an entirely different perspective on the castle he lived in. Slytherin was a kind and caring man who wanted to stop muggle raised attending Hogwarts by raising them in the wizarding world instead.

~•~

Harry rose early the next morning and using the guide in Slytherins journal, took a pipe up to the entrance hall. Using commands such as ascend and descend Harry could get to his destination in just over ten seconds. The pipe spat him out behind the slytherin banner in the entrance hall.

He made his way out to the quidditch pitch and ran some laps around the pitch. He continued with the exercises he had done previously with a little more intensity. After his exercises he bathed in the chamber and got ready for the day.

Using transfiguration and charms Harry altered his uniform slightly. The black became white and the usual red and gold became solid gold. The crest on his robes also changed, It became a golden shield with two deer facing a wand pointed downward in the centre. On the top of the shield was a bouquet of lilies. Beneath the shield was the words 'lux erit succedant' the basic latin motto he had thought up. He enlarged a white tablecloth and pasted the crest in the centre and shortening the dining table before shrinking it down. He also Transfigured the desk chair in the study to be white with gold buttons and shrunk it too.

All chatter stopped when Harry entered the hall. He first tried to approach the Gryffindor table to test the waters. Not to his surprise he was turned away.

"Traitors, cheats and cowards aren't welcome in Gryffindor Potter." Ron yelled at him when Harry got close.

"Well if nobody will accept me at their table I will make my own." Harry replied, enlarging his table he had prepared. He flicked his wand and stole various dishes from the house tables.

"Mr Potter." Mcgonagall's voice rang from behind him. "What is the meaning of this."

"Well you see Professor, I have been told by my house mates that I am not welcome in gryffindor any longer. I was officially entered in the tournament as competing for the light so that is what I am doing. Cedric is the Hogwarts champion not me. Sadly I have nowhere to sit so I have made space for myself." Harry answered.

"Is this true" Mcgonagall asked, turning to Gryffindor table.

"He's a liar and a cheat Professor, not qualities of a Gryffindor." Ron replied.

"Ten points from Gryffindor Mr Weasley, for abandoning a fellow housemate and friend. Gryffindors stick together, they do not cast out their housemates." Mcgonagall said.

"Don't forget attacking another student professor, that bruise didn't just appear on Harry's face." Katie Bell said.

"Did you hit Mr Potter Mr Weasley." Mcgonagall asked.

"Nothing less than the cheat deserves." Ron answered.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention Mr Weasley. Do you wish to return to Gryffindor table Mr Potter." she asked Harry.

"No Professor, I am happy to stay here." Harry replied.

Harry happily ate his breakfast at his private table whilst half the school sent death glares at his back. After he ate Harry shrunk his table down and returned his plates before leaving the hall. He turned left and disappeared through a Slytherin banner. He took a second pipe to the third floor and entered the library.

"Accio Triwizard Tournament books." Harry said, about twenty books raced towards him and stacked up neatly on the table. Sorting through all the double ups, Harry left a very angry Madam Pince with seven different books on the Triwizard tournament. Returning to the chamber Harry sat down to skim read them for information on the task, taking notes of every recorded first, second and third task to get an idea of what the first task could be. After all, the first task was still going ahead as planned

He found that traditionally at least one task, often the first, involved subduing, escaping or passing a magical creature of some kind. The first task is usually a single champion event meaning the champions will complete the task individually.

Harry returned to the library and found four different books on dangerous magical creatures. With his books found Harry gets down to skim reading the books, making a list of creatures, their strengths and weaknesses and useful spells against them. By the time he finished it was lunch time.

"Hey Harry." Katie Bell greeted Harry when he entered the hall.

"Hey Katie, how were your classes." Harry replied.

"Tough, OWL level transfiguration is so hard. I don't know how Angie and Alicia survived all the work. Can we sit at your table for lunch, us girls and the twins that is. We all believe you, no way you would enter the tournament." Katie asked.

"Sure thing." Harry answered, he waved his wand and extended the table to host six. A duplication charm gave him six chairs to match his own.

"So what classes did you have this morning Harry." Angelina asked.

"History and Herbology I think, I didn't go though. Turns out as a champion I don't have to attend any classes. I spent the morning studying for the tournament. Gotta catch up those three years the others have on me aye." Harry answered.

"Well usually I would say you need to go to some classes but from the table extension and the duplication charm I would say you have it covered." Katie laughed.

"I studied ahead last year, Transfiguration seems to just come naturally. I've been told my father was the same." Harry responded.

"You know we should keep training as much as possible for quidditch next year, don't want to fall out of practice and all." Alicia said.

"Definitely, how about a session this saturday. Do we know anyone to play keeper." Harry asked.

"Cormac Mclaggen or Jacob Tool from fifth year, both are planning on the keeper position." Katie supplied.

"Awesome, let them and anyone else know that keeper tryouts are this saturday. Will you all be joining me for dinner tonight as well." Harry asked.

"Definitely." Fred said.

"These chairs are so much better than Gryffindors." George added.

"Great, see you tonight then." Harry said goodbye and returned to the chamber to practice spells.

~•~

"Morning guys, looks like we have a few keepers." Harry greeted the quidditch team on Saturday morning.

"Yeah, Cormac Mclaggen, Jacob Tool, Ron Weasley and Henry Middleton, he's a third year." Katie said.

"Well let's pick one and get to a practice, we don't have all day." Harry replied.

"Actually we do, nobody else wants the pitch." Alicia said.

"Let me rephrase that then, I don't have all day, now let's go." Harry responded.

"Alright, listen up. We're going to start with some ring shuttles. We will go two at a time, I will call one, two or three and you go to the numbered hoop then back to centre position. One point for being first back to centre judged by Alicia and Katie. After thirty the lowest score is out of the trials. First up, Weasley and Mclaggen." Angelina instructed.

After five minutes of shuttles Cormac had made the centre first nineteen times and Ron eight. Jacob and Henry went next which had Jacob win all but one shuttle.

"That's not fair, how can you just drop me without even throwing a quaffle. I bet I would stop every single goal." Ron complained.

"Because Ronniekins, the best keeper will always be whoever can move the fastest." Fred teased.

"If you can't get there fast enough." George said.

"The quaffle goes in, now get off the pitch." Fred finished. Ron just huffed and stormed away muttering "It's only because of the broom."

"Well then, next up, nine runs at the hoops. After that you run a lap of the pitch, arms above your head and then nine more. Best if eighteen gets the spot." Alicia said.

The first set of nine runs at the hoops prove Cornac to save all nine and Jacob to let one through. Jacob finished the tun first and saved seven more at the hoops of the second set. Cormac finished the run two minutes slower and saved three of the second nine because he couldn't get his arms up.

"Congratulations Jacob, welcome to the Gryffindor Quidditch team. You can sit out if you'd like or stay for training." Angelina said.

"I think I'll just sit this one out, That was one intense trial. See you all next Saturday." Jacob replied and left for the changing rooms.

"Well then, today I want to get you Harry in on some bludger training. You're gonna chase a snitch with Fred and George raining bludgers on you." Two hours later Harry returned to the chamber completely exhausted.

The last few hours of the day were spent taking more notes on magical creatures and finding the most useful spells in the parselmagic book. Harry figured using unknown spells could give him an advantage if he needed it.

~•~

As Harry ate breakfast with the chasers and the twins, a schoolbowl swept down to land in front of him.

Harry James Potter

Champion of The Light

Your presence is required in the trophy room at 1:30 pm today for the weighing of the wands ceremony.

Headmaster Lupin

"Well this should be fun, have my wand tested and some photos after lunch." Harry said, summarising the letter.

"I'll put two sickles on the first question a reporter asks is how did you enter your name." Alicia says.

"Do I look like a charity, I already know that's what they will ask." Harry replied. He spent the day studying his Runes and Potions textbooks to keep up with classes. After lunch he heads straight to the Trophy room.

"Ah, our surprise champion is second to arrive." Ludo Bagman said when Harry entered. Harry found that some desks had been set out to form a long table for a press conference. In front of the table were chairs for reporters and behind it a space for photos to be taken.

"Hello Mademoiselle Delacour, how have you found Hogwarts so far." Harry asked.

"Very cold still, I do not like zee cold. I have witnesses zee lake at zee right time like you suggested. You are right that it ez beautiful, also zee stars from your astronomy tower." Fleur responded.

"That surprises me, I was so sure your answer would simply be, confusing. It took me over a month to work out all the trick steps and doors on my way to class. The moving stairs still send me in the wrong direction sometimes." Harry said.

"Zee castle is very confusing, yes. I do not know why anyone would build a castle in such a way."

"I have been told that Rowena Ravenclaw charmed all the stairs and doors to keep the mind active and thinking."

"She was one of zee founders, yes." Fleur asked.

"Yes she was, the last to join the group. Speaking if the founders, which house do you think you would be in."

"I zink I would be in zee Ravenclaw house, I 'ave been told zat I read too much." Fleur answered.

"Hmm, let's see, if I were to guess I would say that the girls at your school are jealous of you and the boys incapable of holding a proper conversation. Therefore to escape the glares and stares you turned to books." Harry said.

"You're guess eez razer accurate, what about you Monsieur Potter, how have you handled zee glares and zee stares as you put eet." Fleur asked.

"Well unlike yourself, I grew up without knowing I was famous. When I came to learn of it I was naive and thought the first person I met was genuine. I guess I hid behind friends and tried my best to ignore everyone else. Now though i just hide in a cave deep beneath the school." Harry replied.

"Zat sounds like an unhelzy way to deel wiz eet. What 'appened to your friends." Fleur said.

"Their jealousy over took them when I was forced into the tournament and they revealed their true colours. They are not my friends anymore." Harry answered.

"Brilliant, that's our last champion to arrive. First up is the wand weighing, Mr Ollivander from Ollivanders Wands has kindly agreed to judge each champions wand today. Ladies first then, Ms Delacour if you would." Ludo Bagman called across the room.

"Hmm, interesting wand, nine and a half inches, rose wood. And oh my a veela hair core." Ollivander said after sniffing and listening to the wand.

"It eez one of my grandmozers 'airs." Fleur responded.

"Yes, of course, I find they make for rather temperamental wands but each to their own." Ollivander conjured a bouquet of flowers and deemed the wand satisfactory.

"Mr Krum next then, ah a Gregorvitch creation, ten and a quarter inches, Hornbeam and a dragon heartstring. Very stiff wand, thicker than I would have made it." Olivander conjured a white dove and returned the wand. Krum stayed silent and reclaimed his seat at the table.

"I remember this wand Mr Diggory, twelve and a quarter inches, ash and unicorn tail hair, springy. Very well polished and cared for." Olivander said, much to Cedrics pleasure. The old wand maker waved the wand to spout a small stream of wine. The wand was returned and Harry was called up.

"Well this is a surprise, this is not the wand I was expecting Mr Potter. What happened to the Holy and Phoenix feather wand, such a beautiful wand that was." Ollivander asked.

"It was destroyed in a fire." Harry said.

"Well this is by far one of the most interesting wands I have seen, still using the Holy wood and eleven inches long. Tell me, who made it and what is the core." Ollivander asked.

"The wand was crafted by Cassieopia Black containing a dual core. Basilisk Venom and phoenix Tears, she also included a blood bond." Harry explained.

"Marvellous, the blood acting as a medium for the two contridicting cores. Very incredible wand indeed, it will serve you well in the tasks to come Mr Potter." Ollivander simply handed it back with no demonstration. Harry returned it to his holster and sat down at the table again.

"No more than two questions for one champion in a row, spread the questions around please. The champions have the right to dismiss any and all questions if they wish. Remain civil and ask your question when called upon by myself. Failure to follow these rules will mean removal from the press conference." Bagman explained to the group of about twenty reporters. Immediately all twenty raised their hands.

"Yes, Ms Skeeter." Bagman pointed to a woman in an acid green robe with a crocodile skin handbag.

"A question for Harry Potter, how is it you managed to fool the goblet and enter yourself in the tournament." She asked.

"I did not enter my self, ask another to enter myself nor attempt in anyway to have myself entered in the tournament. The entire parameters of the tournament have been changed which I am told can only happen before the goblet is lit. Therefore it is impossible for me to have done it. Does that answer your question." Harry responded. Sleeter just nodded whilst a quill wrote rapidly next to her.

"Yes, Mr Thorn." Bagman pointed to another reporter.

"A question for all the champions, what motivated each of you to enter the tournament." the man asked.

"I wanted to bring pride to my school and family and prove that Hufflepuff can produce wizards just as good as any other house." Cedric answered.

"To prove that I am also an excellent wizard as well as seeker." Krum said.

"To prove zat just because I am veela, does not make me any less a witch." Fleur replied.

"I didn't enter so no motivation from me." Harry said.

"Mr Lovegood." Bagman pointed to a man in orange robes.

"Question for Harry Potter. What do you think your parents would be doing right now if they were here." The man asked.

"I really could not say, I only know them from stories. But if I had to guess, my father would be congratulating me for pranking the world and my mother helping me in any way she can to ensure I make it to the end." Harry said.

The interview continued for another twenty minutes with questions of all kinds varying from strategies for the tasks to the champions live lives. Finally it was over and a few photos later Harry was free to leave.


	11. Chapter 11 - The First Task

During breakfast on the sixteenth of November, a regal black owl arrived with a letter stamped with the Gringotts crest. Harry checked it for curses before opening the letter.

Harrison James Potter

It has recently been made aware to the goblins of Gringotts that you have been declared a legal adult. Your presence is requested to reopen the Potter family vaults and to perform the inheritance ritual. Please visit the Diagon Alley Gringotts as soon as possible.

Ironclaw, Potter family account manager.

"What's that one about Harry." Fred asked.

"Gringotts summons, guess my plans for today just changed. I better let Remus know I am leaving to Gringotts for today." Harry said, standing from the table.

"Hey Harry, what's up." Remus asked when Harry entered the suite of rooms Remus was given.

"Read this." Harry handed him the letter.

"So I assume you need to get to Gringotts then." Remus asked.

"Yeah, I'll get changed and then maybe floo from here if that's okay with you." Harry replied.

"Sure thing, just be back before dinner and keep an eye out for any shady looking people. We still don't know how you ended up in this tournament." Remus warned.

"Thanks Moony, see you in a second." Harry left the room and walked down the corridor to the nearest Slytherin banner. A quick trip to the chamber and Harry was changed into some navy blue, open robes with matching trousers, a grey shirt and matching tie.

Harry landed gracefully in The Leaky Cauldron and walked briskly towards the marble stairs of Gringotts. He was bowed through the door by two goblins as per usual and made his way to an empty teller.

"Good morning Master Teller, I am Harry Potter here to see Ironclaw." Harry said evenly.

"Grimjaw will show you to Ironclaw momentarily." The goblin responded.

"Thank you Master Teller, may gold flow to you faster than your enemies blood." Harry said when Grimjaw arrived. The teller gave him a strange look but didn't speak.

Harry followed Grimjaw, a slightly taller goblin than usual with slightly greener skin than others through a maze of halls. It was similar to riding in the carts with all the turns and stairs. After what felt like ten minutes of walking the pair arrived at a plan wooden door, the first door Harry had seen along the journey. The door had a plaque labeled 'Ironclaw - Potter Family Accounts Manager.'

"Good morning Mr Potter, glad to see you know how to be prompt. As you would have understood from my letter, your emancipation has meant a few things for your accounts." Ironclaw greeted.

"Yes, I assume you are referring to claiming the head of house Potter." Harry asked.

"You are correct, usually this would happen on your seventeenth anniversary of birth. However your emancipation means you can now claim your inheritance immediately." Ironclaw explained.

"Is it necessary to do it now." Harry asked.

"Not compulsory but highly advisable. Currently as there is no head of house, nobody can access the vaults. That means a lot of investments are missed. Along with this, you need to claim the head of house ring to reopen any estates attached to your accounts. By claiming your lordship it also means you are required to attend the monthly Wizengamot meeting as a part of the noble houses in the sacred twenty eight. You may if you choose to, do nothing in such meetings but you must be present. That is the only potential negative of claiming your inheritance but the Wizengamot only meet every fourth Sunday for the full sessions so very little intrusion." Ironclaw said.

"Okay, I see the benefits, what do I have to do." Harry asked.

"Well to begin with, you will slash your hand with a ritual knife over a Potter ritual bowl. Then you must call forth the Potters Stagg by saying 'Familius Magicus.' Next you give the oath, I, your name, hereby claim the head of the Noble House of Potter as is my right by blood and magic. I do hereby swear to serve the Noble House of Potter with honour and duty, to uphold its values and work for the betterment of my house. The stagg will judge you and either leave you or grant you the ring. So let's begin."

Ironclaw removed a quart bowl from a draw in his desk that was covered from top to bottom in runes. In the bottom was the Potter family crest, A shield with a stag head facing outwards on each side. The inside of the shield was solid navy blue except for a large silver P in the centre. Above the shields sat a silver helmet with blue feathers poking out the top. Beneath the shield in a banner was the family motto 'Sapiens Fortunam Fingit Sibi' which translates to 'A wise man carves his own future.

"Let's get this over with then shall we." Harry says. He takes the sapphire encrusted silver dagger and slashes open his palm. The bowl fills with a blue flame from which a silver stagg emerges when Harry called the family magic. He gave his oath, the stagg roared its approval before it disappeared to leave a silver ring with the potter crest etched into the top and a sapphire on each side.

"Place the ring on your right hand ring finger, it will merge with the hidden Black heir ring. The same principles with controlling its visibility apply. If you show both at once both crests will appear on one ring. Now that you have claimed the rings we need to open your vaults. If you would follow me." Ironclaw pressed a series of runes under his desk and a door appeared behind him. Ironclaw led Harry through the door which opened onto the track sides. A cart came barreling down the track and stopped for them to get in. Fifteen minutes of ridiculous dips, rolls, spins and turns they stopped outside a blank wall.

"Place your hand against the wall and it will grant you entrance Lord Potter." Ironclaw instructed.

Harry placed his hand flat against the cold stone wall. Magic flooded through his hand and around the silver ring. The sound of a roaring stagg could be heard as the stone turned to dust and feel away to reveal an archway into a hallway.

"The vaults of these sizes are split into rooms. There are rooms with only gold, gems, jewellery, books, parchment and other items like weapons, armours and wands paintings and tapestries. The parchment room will hold the receipts from all purchases, investment details, contracts and estate deeds and details. That is where you need to go and find the estates book. It will give you the location, condition and size of all your estates. I cannot enter as I am not a Potter." Ironclaw said.

Harry followed the old goblins instructions and looked for the correct room. The room was set out similar to a library but instead of just books there were drawers, filing cabinets, cases and books. One wall was entirely covered with glass doors. Each door was only around fifty by thirty centimeters and all of them were labeled with a name and dates. The first door Harry approached read 'Jefferson Potter - Born 23/04/1372 - Lord Potter 06/10/1401 - Died 14/01/1429.' Every other door held the name if one of Harry's ancestors. Inside the door Harry found hundreds of small, red, wax disks with a date, number and narration on the back and a Potter crest on the front.

Moving on from the doors Harry moved through the ancient room looking for the book cases. When he found the book case he looked along the spine of each book until he got to a very thick tome simply labeled 'Estates.' Flicking through the first few pages to confirm it was what he wanted Harry returned to Ironclaw at the vaults entrance. Ironclaw made a copy of it and gave it to Harry.

"That is for you to pursue in your own time and visit your properties. Now the last thing that needs to be organised is how you want to invest your money. Now the vaults are open more investments can be made to increase your vault. You need to decide how you want it invested or assign someone in your place." Ironclaw explained.

"I know the perfect person, I assume that you, like any good goblin are willing to do almost anything for a bit of gold." Harry said.

"Anything other than break Gringotts code, I am a goblin after all." Ironclaw grinned.

"Well then, I give you access to a vault with two million galleons to invest. All dividends received by those investments goes back into the vault. By quarters end I will pay you five percent of the vaults profit. For the new quarter, seventy percent of the profits will go to my vault and the remainder is your new amount to invest." Harry said.

"Of course Lord Potter, that is very generous and I promise to bring gold to your vault." Ironclaw replied with a wicked grin across his face. Harry returned the original estates book to the vault before the two rode back to the surface. Each gave a departing statement to the other related to gold and victory according to customs and Harry was in his way. Harry left one very happy goblin at Gringotts to return to Hogwarts.

~•~

"Keep your eyes peeled today ladies." Fred said during dinner that night

"The kings of pranking are about to make their stand." George added.

Suddenly snow began to trickle down from the enchanted ceiling. Within five minutes there was a layer of snow, two inches deep over the entire hall. Wind blew through the hall from out of nowhere and swept all the snow into a tornado that tore through the centre aisle. Strangely, it took only the snow and everything else was left untouched.

The tornado of snow split in half then again to make four smaller tornadoes at the foot of each house table. The spirals of snow shifted into a snake, a badger, a lion and an eagle. Each animal slithered, ran or flew along their house table, freezing goblets of juice and turning all the food ice cold. When the reached the end of tge tables they turned inwards and crashed togather in a shower of snow. When the snow settled a message was left in ice against the great hall doors.

The Marauders' Heir

We accept your challenge

Wizarding Wheezes

The hall burst into excited whispers as they filled in the foreign students about the prank challenge offered by 'The Marauders' Heir' and the first prank. Dumbledore sat at the head table with a large grin on his face at the prank.

A wave of the aged man's wand and all the juice was melted and the food reheated. The atmosphere for the rest of the evening was that much cheerful and exciting with the acceptance of the challenge posed by the unknown 'Marauders' Heir'.

"So which are you Fred, George. Is it Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes or Fred and George Weasley, heir to the Marauders." Harry asked.

"Don't know what your talkin about Harrykins." Fred replied.

"So it just happens that your joke shop is called Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes and this mysterious prankster goes by the same name."

"Uhh, you will tell no one, understand." George pointed a threatening finger at Harry.

"Of course, what's that thing Duders always used to say. Ah yes, snitches get stitches. Doesn't quite have the same effect in the magical world does it. Nevertheless, your secret is safe with me." Harry said.

"Good." Both twins said together as they rose from the table, neither staying for dessert.

~•~

Harry woke on the eighteenth of November in the large bed in the chamber of secrets. Less than a week from the first task and he had no better idea of exactly what it would be. Harry's morning routine was completed as usual and included a sweep of the forbidden forest on his broom. However this time Harry found a familiar face at the edge of the forest.

"I wonder what Charlie's doing here, why would he be at Hogwarts." Harry mumbled to himself. And then it all clicked. Charlies hints about being at school for work, dangerous magical creatures stashed in the forest. Charlie Weasley was a dragon handler, the only reason he would have work at Hogwarts was if the first task is.

"Holy shit, Dragons." Harry said as the bursts of orange flame filled the ground beneath him. The notice me not ward dissolving once Harry knew what was behind it. Harry flew back to the chamber and retrieved his invisibility cloak before returning to the forest.

There were four cages each holding a dragon, one for each champion. The first dragon stood about fifteen feet high at its shoulders. Its hide was an electric blue colour and it had a large horn on the front of its snubbed snout.

The second dragon was slightly taller, around eighteen feet at the shoulder. Its scales were a deep green colour that shined under the fire light. Atop its head were a set of sharp horns and the same at the mid joint of both wings. It blasted a jet of flames at its handlers that went easily twenty five feet.

The third dragon was a fiery red colour, it stood the same as the second dragon and had a mane of yellow spikes covering behind its hairy ears. Beneath its chin was a long tuft of yellow hair like Dumbledore's beard. Unlike the other two dragons which blasted a continuous jet of flames for a few seconds, this dragon shot a large ball of fire that went over fifty feet.

The last dragon was the most terrifying of them all in Harry's opinion. It was the largest of them all, thirty feet tall with vivid black scales. Large spikes surrounded its head and ran all the way down its spine and tail. At the end of the tail was a ball of hard bone, covered in huge, sharp spikes. It also had a fiery breath of fifty feet and lasted for about four seconds.

Harry's luck seemed to be on his side as Ludo Bagman was talking rather loudly with one of the handlers.

"Brilliant creatures aren't they Bob, four nesting mothers for our champions to steal an egg from. I pity whoever gets the horntail though, that is one vicious dragon." Bagman laughed.

"Yes, the horntail is said to be the most intelligent dragons. That's what makes it the most dangerous, I hope whoever faces this beast doesn't try to trick it." The dragon handler, Bob, replied.

With his recon mission a success, Harry turns back and heads for the chamber. He ate a hurried breakfast in the great hall and returned to the depths of Hogwarts to form his plan.

The next six days Harry spends practicing and constructing his plan to not only survive but win the first task. Many hours he spent crafting his tool to ensure he doesn't get burnt by the flames.

"So what's the plan for the first task Harry." Fred asked during breakfast on the twenty fourth of November.

"Well from my research, the tournament is judged mostly from dramatics. You could use one kick arse spell and complete the task but that wouldn't make a good show. The key is to be a show off with big flashy spells and put on a good show for the crowd." Harry explained.

"Ah I see, so you plan on being dramatic but what are you going to do." George asked.

"Now that would ruin the surprise wouldn't it." Harry laughed before making his way out of the hall to meet Remus.

"Morning Harry, ready for the task. What's with the cloak." Remus asked. Harry was wearing white dueling robes and a very large and thick, white fur coat.

"It's part of my plan for the task, gotta stay safe out there. Please, lead the way to this task location." Harry replied. Remus lead Harry along a path that had recently been marked out with a carpet and barrier tape.

After about five minutes of walking, the trees gave way to reveal a huge clearing. Harry could see a pop up stadium behind a tent marked 'Champions.'

"Your in there Harry, I've gotta go to the judges table. See you in the arena and make our school proud." Remus laughed, leaving Harry at the tent entrance to find a place in the judges box in the stadium.

"Harry, our last champion to arrive. Just in the nick of time too, I was about to explain the task." Bagman greeted him when he entered the tent.

"Mighty fine morning for the first task isn't Mr Bagman. Before we start I have a question about protective gear taken into the arena." Harry asked.

"Oh yes, no protective equipment to be taken into the arena beyond your clothing which can be of any material but not enchanted in anyway. Clothing includes shoes, robes, cloaks, helmets and gloves. Does that answer your question Harry." Bagman answered.

"It most certainly does thank you Mr Bagman." Harry replied cheerfully.

"Well then, each of you is tasked to retrieve a golden egg from a magical creature. Each of you will draw a figurine from the bag with a number. The figurine represents the creature you will face and the number the order you will go in. Ladies first I think." Bagman held a cloth bag out for Fleur.

Fleur put her hand in the bag and winced as something bit her finger. She pulled her hand out with the green dragon hanging from her finger, a number two painted on its side.

"The Welsh Green, you will compete second Ms Delacour, Mr Krum next I say." Bagman said, confirming Harry's research on the dragon was correct. Viktor took the Chinese Fireball with the number three and Cedric claimed the Swedish Short-Snout and first place in the pecking order.

"Ha- Mr Potter, looks like you get the Hungarian Horntail, lucky you. Well then, Mr Diggory you have ten minutes to determine a strategy before the task begins. Please enter through that door when the cannon sounds." Bagman gave a giggle from excitement and left the tent.

"Man you're lucky Harry, last to face the task. You get like two hours to think of something." Cedric said as he sat thinking to himself.

"My dragons twice the size of yours, nothing more than half an hour would be truly useful to remember all the spells about dragons. I get to sit here and listen to cheers and gasps to question my plan over and over. I think second to go would be best, second easiest dragon and enough time to think of a good strategy." Harry replied.

"I suppose so, let's hope this dragon doesn't fry me before I get the egg." Cedric said as the cannon sounded.

"Cedric." Harry called out before he left the tent.

"Yeah Harry." Cedric asked.

"The short snout has a slow reaction time and small range, about twenty five feet. Good luck." Harry said. Cedric smiled in thanks and hurried out of the tent.

"Why give him help, you are the one that will need it most." Viktor asked Harry curiously.

"Well the tournament wouldn't be any fun if it wasn't close now would it. No harm in helping a friend." Harry smiled back.

"So 'oo do not plan on winning zee tournament. Eez eet your plan to just let us win." Fleur asked.

"Of course not, I plan to take my dragon down a peg and put on the show of a lifetime. But Cedric is the only one of us who did not figure out exactly what the first task is. I bet both of you had your plan all tidied up days ago. Cedric is at a disadvantage so two facts about his dragon that only really help him not get roasted isn't giving him the answer to completing the task." Harry said.

Cheers erupted loudly from the crowds outside as Bagman announced Cedric completing his task. Two minutes later the cannon sounded and Fleur left the tent with wishes of luck from Harry.

"You know what we should do sometime after the task." Harry said to Viktor.

"What is that, assuming you survive the task that is." Viktor replied.

"We should hold an inter-school quidditch competition. I am sure each champion could throw together a team. Wouldn't it be fun and I can get to play some good seeker competition. Cedrics a good seeker but he's about the only challenge I ever get and it's not a big challenge." Harry suggested.

"That would be fun, I might need to steal a Hogwarts player or two but I could form a team. First we need to survive these monstrous dragons though." Viktor replied.

The crowd roared with cheers when Bagman announced Fleurs success in retrieving the egg. The cannon sounded and Harry was left to himself for seventeen minutes before Viktor finished the task.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, our fourth and final champion for today, the underdog of the competition, all the way from the school of light on the sun. HARRY. JAMES. POTTER!" Bagmans voice boomed across the arena.

Harry walked into the arena and locked eyes with the dragon that stood on the opposite side. Emerald green met wicked yellow as Harry stared defiantly at the dragon.

:Hello dragon, I have come to strike a deal: Harry hissed towards the dragon, one of few dragon species capable of speaking parseltongue.

:I do not make deals with puny humans: The horntail hissed back. The dragons namesake smashed into a large boulder in a show of strength causing it to smash into tiny pieces.

"What a display by the horntail, at least our young hero is now aware of its mighty tail." Bagman comentated.

Harry smiled in retaliation and pointed his wand at an even larger boulder. "Reducto." He whispered and the boulder exploded into a million tiny pebbles.

"What is Potter doing, a very well executed blasting curse but you can't one up a dragon Harry." Bagman laughed along with the crowd.

:As I have said, I come to offer a deal. Allow me to retrieve the golden egg from your best nad I will set you free along with your real eggs: Harry hissed.

:I will never allow you to enter my nest: The horntail replied followed by a jet of flames. Harry however, did not dive to the side nor try to escape the flames. Instead he dropped to one knee and raised his cloak to cover his body. The flames hit the cloak and for a moment Harry was engulfed in flames.

:My word, dragon handlers get in there. Wait, our champion seems to have survived somehow." Bagman's magically enhanced voice called across the arena.

True to Ludo's word, Harry had survived the blast but his clothing was different. The fur on his cloak had all burnt away to leave behind a dark green, almost black, scaly cloak.

"How is this possible, he seems to have found a way to deflect dragon fire. Remarkable!" Ludo said.

:You are stronger than most, a child with much potential indeed. How unfortunate it is that you threatened my nest because now I will kill you: The horntail hissed at Harry.

A second blast of flames was launched at Harry that soared straight over top of him. Harry stood, wand pointed at the dragon as it's head was forced into the air against its will. Harry forced it all the way until it was standing on its haunches before slamming its head back down to the ground. The dragon lay with its face squashed into the ground under the weight of Harry's magic. Its head twisted so its fiery breath could not harm him.

The dragons namesake swung with speed, power and accuracy as it came down towards where Harry was standing. Harry stepped to the side and cast a spell on the stone ground. "Liquificus." The spiked tail soared past Harry and plunged deep into the now liquid ground. "Solidificus." Harry changed the ground back to solid stone.

:Will you now accept my deal dragon: Harry asked, his foot pressed against its cheek in a show of dominance.

:Set me free and you may take the fake egg, touch any of my young and it will be the last thing you do: the horntail hissed. Harry laughed in response and walked to the nest. He snatched the golden egg and returned to stand in front of the dragon. He waved his wand and released its tail first, next he removed his magic from its head so it could stand upright. Finally Harry blasted the chains keeping it locked up to set the dragon free.

With lightning speed the dragon raced to its nest and collected its eggs in its mouth. It turned back to face Harry and to everyone's surprise, the mighty dragon bowed to Harry. It was a bow to accept Harry as an equal, its eyes on his and head low.

:Rise dragon and be free: Harry hissed as he bowed back to the dragon. With a mighty roar, the dragon took flight and disappeared into the clouds.

The crowd went mad, not only had Harry completed the task without a single scratch and in eleven minutes. He had also earned the respect of the deadliest dragon of them all in a show of dominance.

"The judges have there score for our youngest champion. Unfortunately as he set the dragon free he has failed the task and receives zero points." Bagman announced to many boos from the crowd. "Yes I know, sadly it is how it is, I didn't make these rules you know. Now with the last champion having completed the task the scores are as follows. In fourth place on zero points, Harry Potter. Third place with thirty four points, Fleur Delacour. Second place with thirty eight points is Cedric Diggory and leading the bunch after the first task, with forty points is VIKTOR KRUM!" Bagman gave the scores.

The crowd all applauded politely as they made their way out if the makeshift stands. The Durmstrang students however were blasting red and black confetti from their wands chanting "Krum, Krum, Krum."

Harry was rushed into the medical tent by Madam Pomfrey where she fussed over him. Twice she went to give him a potion before putting it back with mutters of "How can I heal him if he can't have potions." It was the downside of the venom in his veins. Although he was immune to poisons as the venom destroyed them, the same applies to healing potions like blood replenisher or pepper up potions.

"Harry, what a show that was. I knew you planned on being dramatic but that was crazy." Katie Bell yelled from the hospital wing entrance where he'd been moved to be monitored. She was followed in by the other two chasers and the twins.

"Real shame they ruled it as failing because you set the dragon free. I bet if you didn't you would have gotten full marks." Alecia said. Harry was treated with many congratulations by all manner of people while he sat in his hospital bed.

"Harry, you did amazing in the first task. To think you even did it without my help, you have to tell me the spells you used." Hermione demanded when she entered the hospital wing with Ron.

"Yeah, that was amazing mate. Listen, we're really sorry about what we did after your name was drawn but you need to look at it from our point of view, it was highly suspicious. Anyway, we both realised that to perform like that you must have studied hard and neither of us want to face a dragon. So can we put it behind us and you move back into Gryffindor tower." Ron said.

"Right, so after you declare me a cheat, liar, traitor and the opposite of all things Gryffindor. All because you were jealous of something I didn't want and told you repeatedly. You both kick me out of Gryffindor tower. Now though, you realise that actually you don't want to be in the tournament so your jealousy was misplaced you expect me to accept you back as my best friends, just like that." Harry said, stunned by what they were saying.

"We know we shouldn't have done that but we are sorry. You can't hold a grudge forever so it's easier just to drop it now." Ron said.

"No, you both abandoned me because you were thought I was an attention seeking cheat who craves for glory. Three years and you still thought that of me. If you were half decent friends you would have known me better than to think that. I don't need people in my life that will just ditch at the drop of a hat because something doesn't go their way. Even worse is you aren't apologising because you realised what you did was wrong, you're apologising because you don't want to be me anymore. I don't want or need you as my friends anymore. Go away." Harry responded.

"Harry, don't be stupid. You might of fluked the first task but you are going to need us for the other three. Now let's go find a classroom so you can show me those spells and we can open the egg." Hermione said.

"Ah, so that's it, you're here because now you are jealous of me knowing spells you don't. Piss off and don't talk to me again." Harry snapped at them.

"I'm not leaving until you accept our apologies." Hermione glared at him, folding her arms.

"Fine then, Depulso." Harry banished Hermione across the hospital wing to land just outside the door. "Are you walking or do you need help too Weasley." Harry asked sharply. Ron quickly ran out the door which Harry closed and locked. The next morning Harry was deemed healthy and allowed to leave.

A/N

I've decided that I would need to change the story completely to include everything I want to get into it. This is the last update and the rest of what I had written of Black Truth. I plan to write a new story similar to how this was going to progress but starting from the very beginning. Harry will escape the Dursleys at eight and be knowledgable in magic. Harry gets sorted into slytherin and is rather optimistic, always looking for the best in people. He will not be an idiot like Dumbledore and give one hundred second chances but he will not descriminate others. I plan to take the story right through untill seventh year but likely won't post the first chapters for a while. As much as I enjoyed writting Black Truth I wouldn't be able to continue it how I wanted to without starting again or writting a rubbish story full of unrealistic changes. I had thought about just doing a little cut iff story and finish forth year by Harry killing Tom in the grave yard but again it wouldn't be very good and would make many unrealistic leaps in character developments. Sad to abandon a story and I know how annoying it can be to read something that doesn't finish but isn't that better than something with a badly written ending. Might be some time before I start posting my new story (I have 5,000 words) but eventually I will after I have a solid start on it. Hopefully I can finish this one.


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